Two Israeli Children Hospitalized with Severe Anemia After Eating Egyptian Falafel

Two Israeli children were hospitalized at Rambam Hospital in Haifa after developing severe anemia caused by rapid destruction of red blood cells following a vacation in Egypt. Both children, unrelated to each other, consumed taamiya, the Egyptian version of falafel made from fava beans instead of chickpeas. This ingredient poses a risk to individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, a genetic enzyme deficiency that can trigger hemolysis when exposed to fava beans.

The first case involved a 12-year-old boy admitted about ten days ago with jaundice, dark urine, and a significant drop in hemoglobin. Although his family was aware of G6PD deficiency in relatives, they did not know the boy himself was sensitive. They believed they avoided fava beans but ate falafel, unaware that Egyptian falafel is made entirely from fava beans. The attending hematologist, Dr. Reizi Gruda-Zusman, noted that a quick check via ChatGPT confirmed this fact.

A few days later, an 8-year-old boy returned from Egypt with similar symptoms and was hospitalized and given a blood transfusion. His family knew about the G6PD sensitivity and avoided fava beans but were unaware of the ingredient in Egyptian falafel. His 2-year-old brother was also exposed to a small amount of fava beans, resulting in low hemoglobin but not requiring hospitalization.

G6PD protects red blood cells from oxidative damage, and deficiency can cause acute hemolytic anemia, jaundice, and dark urine after exposure to fava beans. This reaction is particularly severe in young children and may require medical supervision and blood transfusions. The cases highlight the importance of awareness about regional food variations for people with G6PD deficiency.