Han Ximin

DOCTORS have warned people with kidney problems to avoid eating star fruit, which could cause coma or even death.

Although there had been no reports of deaths linked to star fruit, the city's center for disease control and prevention (CDC) said yesterday star fruit contained neurotoxins that often caused severe neurological complications in patients with chronic renal disease.

The CDC warning was issued following a Malaysian newspaper report of a Malaysian citizen falling into a coma in Shenzhen after eating star fruit.

The New Straits Times reported Sunday that the retired assistant headmaster from Malaysia had been in a coma in a hospital in Shenzhen for the past three weeks.

Tang Gon Seang, 66, an assistant headmaster at SRJK (C) Kwong Hwa in Butterworth, came to visit his son, who works as an engineer in Shenzhen, on Feb. 18.

He was admitted to hospital March 29 after falling unconscious and a doctor diagnosed his condition as being caused by star fruit he had eaten.

The Shenzhen Daily was unable to locate the hospital where Tang was admitted.

There was no great difference between star fruit and other fruit and it was not clear what toxic substances were contained in the fruit, but some experts say star fruit can damage kidneys, causing kidney disease complications and even kidney failure.

Healthy people, particularly the elderly, should control the consumption of star fruit and patients with kidney problems should not eat star fruit, said He Yongcheng, a doctor at Shenzhen No. 2 People's Hospital.

However, Tang's brother in-law Teoh Thian Lye, 55, was quoted by the Malaysian newspaper as saying that Tang was not suffering from kidney disease or any other illness prior to their visit to China.

The family has exhausted their savings to pay Tang's medical bills which have amounted to more than 50,000 yuan (US$7,143). They tried to have Tang transferred to a hospital in Malaysia, but he was too ill to travel.

Man poisoned by star fruit

Richard Han

A SHENZHEN man with kidney problems was in coma for 10 days after having eaten star fruit in 2006.

The man, in his 70s, suffered uraemia and was in a critical condition when he was taken to Shenzhen No. 2 People's Hospital on June 2, 2006.

This was the first poisoning incident related to star fruit reported in the city. The man left the hospital after 10 days' treatment.

The elderly man suffered persistent hiccups, lapses of consciousness and coma before he was taken to hospital.