Thursday, July 26, 2007

Cassava Downs 4 In Southern Philippines

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 26 Jul) – Four members of a farming family were rushed to hospital after eating cooked cassava in the southern Philippines.

Neighbors said they rushed Ruben Talinto and his wife, Jennifer, and also their two children, to hospital in Davao City on Wednesday afternoon after the family complained of severe stomach pains. They were also vomiting.

The family lives in the village of Mandug in Buhangin district in Davao City. Their medical conditions were unknown.

The cassava root is widely consumed in the Philippines, just like in other Southeast Asian countries and other parts of the world, but it can also be poisonous if not completely peeled or thoroughly cooked.

Last year, a child had died and three others were hospitalized after eating cassava cake in Zamboanga City. The four children ages between 10 and 14 were rushed to hospital, but one had died.

In 2005, at least 50 people were also hospitalized for severe diarrhea and difficulty in breathing after feasting on pork stew cooked with cassava starch in Magpet town in North Cotabato province also in the southern Philippines. (Romy Bwaga)

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