Following recent poisonings that left one person dead and another in intensive care, residents of Preah Vihear province are being warned by health officials not to consume the toxic insects known as blister beetles (Hycleus phaleratus).
Provincial health department director Kuong Lo identified the victims as a married couple who worked together on a farm in Choam Ksan district.
On August 4, he said, the wife, 56, consumed five blister beetles while her 58-year-old husband ate two.
“She ate more banded blister beetles and had worse symptoms than her husband.
“She sadly passed away on the morning of August 5 in the provincial referral hospital,” Lo said.
Her husband, who was transferred to Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital, is suffering from kidney problems, he added.
“We cannot determine the extent of his poisoning, or identify the substance that caused the poisoning and led to the victim’s kidney problems,” he said.
Preah Vihear provincial health authorities have expressed limitations in dealing with the unfamiliar poisoning.
“As we do not have the ability to test, we can only advise people across the province not to eat this insect,” Lo said.
In addition to the public warning, health officials have visited the victims’ community, offering guidance to local people and authorities.
Their goal is to continue to educate those in nearby areas.
“We are calling on all people in Preah Vihear and other provinces not to eat anything they are unfamiliar with, including insects and plants, as we do not know if they are harmful to human life,” Lo said.
This is not the first occurrence of banded blister beetle poisoning in the region. In September 2020, a similar incident in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samrong town resulted in the death of two people and the poisoning of two others after consuming the insects.
