Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Waikato family sick from eating wild boar still unresponsive

Nikki Preston
NZ Herald·
19 Nov, 2017 05:19 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Subi Babu, Shibu Kochummen and his mother Alekutty Daniel remain in a stable but serious condition at Waikato Hospital after eating wild boar. Photo / Supplied

Subi Babu, Shibu Kochummen and his mother Alekutty Daniel remain in a stable but serious condition at Waikato Hospital after eating wild boar. Photo / Supplied

The relatives of family members who are unable to move or talk after eating wild boar will land in New Zealand from southern India late tomorrow night.

A Waikato DHB spokeswoman confirmed husband and wife Shibu Kochummen, 35, and Subi Babu, 32, and Kochummen's 62-year-old mother, Alekutty Daniel are still in a serious but stable condition in a ward at Waikato Hospital.

The trio fell ill nine days ago from what is thought to be caused from eating contaminated wild boar and have been responding to botulism treatment.

The exact cause of their illness may not be confirmed for several weeks as samples have been sent to Queensland for testing.

Meanwhile the couple's two children, aged 7 and 1, are being cared by members of their church in Hamilton while they wait for relatives to arrive from India.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Close friend Joji Varghese said the family was due to arrive from a 17-hour flight at midnight on Monday. They had been working hard to arrange visas since the family had been admitted to hospital.

He said once the family arrived, he would sit down and work out with them what was best for the couple's children. The 7-year-old had not returned to school in Putaruru since her parents had fallen ill.

Varghese said the 1-year-old was unaware of the severity of the situation and had formed an emotional bond with members of the church, while the older daughter was "missing her parents badly".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The children knew the congregation's members before their parents fell ill as they regularly attended the church, but due to living in Putaruru had never stayed at any of their houses.

"Once their relatives get here, we will chalk out a plan and see what their plans are because the people coming from India have children of their own so we will have to sit down and have a really good talk with them about what their game plan is and I'm sure together we will come to a decision of what to do."

Varghese had visited Kochummen, Babu and Daniel in hospital again and said they were still unresponsive.

"The reality is there is absolutely no change from yesterday. They are still stable but critical.

Discover more

New Zealand

Boar-eating trio suffering from botulism - hospital

17 Nov 03:47 AM

"They are treating them for botulism. Whether they are right - we will have to wait for the results to come. At this stage if we say anything else, it is mere speculation.

"The response at this stage is measured in that their condition is not deteriorating. But it is not improving either."

Varghese said his friends starting to talk again would be a real sign for him that the treatment was working.

Doctors had told him that the response was measured in weeks rather than days and could take between two and six months to work.

"There's no point on meeting (with doctors) on a day-to-day basis as not much change is expected." Instead they had organised weekly updates.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Tom Phillips' body released to family as police continue campsite examination

11 Sep 04:48 AM
Waikato Herald

Key details of Tom Phillips case to remain secret for now

11 Sep 04:35 AM
Waikato Herald

'Monster': Phillips children used as 'human shields', says Police Minister

11 Sep 02:59 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Tom Phillips' body released to family as police continue campsite examination
Waikato Herald

Tom Phillips' body released to family as police continue campsite examination

A postmortem was completed yesterday and his case has been referred to the coroner.

11 Sep 04:48 AM
Key details of Tom Phillips case to remain secret for now
Waikato Herald

Key details of Tom Phillips case to remain secret for now

11 Sep 04:35 AM
'Monster': Phillips children used as 'human shields', says Police Minister
Waikato Herald

'Monster': Phillips children used as 'human shields', says Police Minister

11 Sep 02:59 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP