Single Bite Of Dangerous Dish Can Give You Cancer
Experts are trying to educate people about a dangerous dish that is said could lead to cancer with just one bite.
Dr. Narong Khuntikeo, whose parents died from liver cancer after eating the much-loved meal, is working with scientists, doctors, and anthropologists in his battle against the ‘silent killer.’
The team has spent years traveling Thailand’s rural northeast warning villagers of the dish.
“It’s a very big health burden around here,” Dr. Khuntikeo told Agence France-Presse. “But nobody knows about this because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree.”
Dr. Khuntikeo and his team have traveled to Isaan, one of the nation’s poorest regions, testing villagers for parasites.
These efforts have uncovered alarming health data.
In one screening, a third of the individuals exhibited liver abnormalities and four were suspected to have cancer, reports The Guardian.
Thanin Wongseeda, a then 48-year-old villager from Kalasin province, said he had eaten the dish since childhood.
While his tests showed no signs of cancer, the villager said he would now stay away from the meal.
Although Dr. Khuntikeo’s efforts are gaining traction among some, resistance remains.
Local health officials have introduced educational programs to inform the younger generation of such risks.
However, older generations haven’t been as easily convinced.
“They’ll say, ‘Oh well, there are many ways to die,'” Dr. Khuntikeo said. “But I cannot accept this answer.”
Koi pla is a dish made of raw fish ground with spices and limes. It is eaten by millions of Thais, especially in Isaan.
The meal often contains parasites that cause a type of liver cancer estimated to kill up to 20,000 Thais per year, reports The Guardian.
Dr. Khuntikeo’s campaign focuses on warning villagers about the risks of cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer.
This cancer is often caused by a parasitic flatworm – or liver fluke – native to the Mekong region’s freshwater fish.
Without undergoing surgery, survival rates for this cancer are one of the lowest of all cancers, according to cholangiocarcinoma charities.
Although doctors have recommended frying the chopped fish mixture, many villagers say this impacts the flavor.
Boonliang Konghakot, a farmer from Khon Kaen province, said: “I used to come here and just catch the fish in the pond. It’s so easy to eat raw.”
Yet the attitude of younger people is encouraging, as many are learning the popular dish has a potentially deadly cost.
Related Article: Student Dies After Drinking ‘Dangerous’ Lemonade From Popular Fast Food Chain
Related Article: Teenager Dies After Eating Tortilla Chip So Hot That He Passed Out
