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Joseph Reynolds Discharged
Joseph Reynolds Discharged
The 32-year-old English tourist at the centre of a toxic honey poisoning scare in the Coromandel has today been discharged from Thames Hospital. Joseph Reynolds, an IT support analyst in London, will continue holidaying in New Zealand with his partner Vanessa Whittle and her family. They plan to return to the UK on April 1.
The other two who were also affected after they ate comb honey, thought to have had high levels of tutin toxin, were Jo Whittle, 38, and her three-year-old son Daniel.
Jo Whittle today said they had both fully recovered and were looking forward to continuing their holiday.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Waikato District Health Board advise all consumers who bought comb honey from the Coromandel area in recent days not to eat the honey and to throw it out. Suspect honey should be well wrapped in the rubbish so that bees are unable to get to it as if they did it would return the poison to the food chain. Despite reports, health authorities have no plan to arrange drop-off points for people with honey they fear may be contaminated.
If consumed, comb honey with high levels of tutin toxin, can result in symptoms include vomiting, delirium, giddiness, increased excitability, stupor, coma and violent convulsions. Any consumers who develop symptoms should contact a doctor immediately and notify them of any consumption of honey within the preceding hours.
Symptoms usually develop within three hours of consumption. These honey toxins can be lethal, or make a person very sick. As little as one teaspoon (approximately 10 ml) of toxic honey can have a severe effect on the human nervous system.
ends
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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