Two Children Hospitalized with Severe Anemia After Eating Egyptian Falafel on Vacation

Two children recently returned from a vacation in Egypt were hospitalized at Rambam Hospital in Haifa after developing severe anemia caused by rapid destruction of red blood cells. Both children, unrelated to each other, ate taamiya, an Egyptian version of falafel made from fava beans instead of chickpeas. This ingredient poses a risk to individuals with a deficiency in the G6PD enzyme, which protects red blood cells from oxidative damage.

The first case involved a 12-year-old boy who was admitted with jaundice, dark urine, and a significant drop in hemoglobin. Although his family was aware of a G6PD deficiency in their background, they did not know the boy himself was sensitive. They believed they had avoided fava beans during the trip but had consumed falafel. Dr. Reizi Gruda-Zusman, a senior pediatric hematologist at Rambam, explained that a quick check using ChatGPT revealed that Egyptian falafel is made entirely from fava beans, a fact unknown to the family.

A few days later, an 8-year-old boy with known G6PD sensitivity was hospitalized with similar symptoms after eating the same dish. He required a blood transfusion. His 2-year-old brother was also exposed to a small amount of fava beans and showed low hemoglobin but did not need hospitalization.

G6PD deficiency can cause hemolysis when exposed to fava beans, leading to acute anemia, jaundice, and dark urine. This reaction is particularly severe in young children and may necessitate medical supervision and blood transfusions.