MBG Poisoning Maybe Not Toxics Of Substances, But Mass Panic?
YOGYAKARTA - Mengurai fenomena dari Video dr. Faldi SPN yang Viral di Facebook video yang berjudul “Keracunan MBG” yang diunggah oleh dr. Faldi SPN. Video ini viral pada url https://www.facebook.com/dokterfaldispn/videos/keracunan-mbg/2172900003202533/ menimbulkan diskusi luas di kalangan netizen.
In the video, dr. Faldi explained that a number of people reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness after consuming a product labeled MBG. However, according to him, not all cases are actually caused by poison or chemical.
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Clarification dr. Faldi SPN
In his statement, dr. Faldi emphasized that the purpose of the video is to provide education, not to accuse certain products. He reminded the public to be careful of health claims that are not supported by scientific evidence.
"I'm not saying all cases are poisoning," he explained in the video. "But many people don't understand that symptoms can arise not only because of harmful substances, but also because of stress, panic, or suggestions."
This statement opens a deeper space for analysis: is part of the 'toxic MBG' report actually a mass psychogenic disorder (Mass Psychogenic Illness/MPI)?
When Fear Spreads Faster Than Poison
In the context of public health, MPI is a phenomenon when a group of people experience real physical symptoms without any identified biological or toxic causes. According to research byenkow & Wessely (2002) in the journal Psychological Medicine, the spread of these symptoms often occurs through social and media interactions.
This phenomenon is very likely to appear in the digital era. Viral videos, testimonials in WhatsApp groups, or chain uploads on TikTok can create emotional contagion' effects, namely panic transmission from one individual to another. In the case of MBG, the mass poisoning' narration could trigger real symptoms in people who hear or read the story, even without direct exposure to MBG materials.
Clinical Evidence That Needs To Be Investigated
Some medical personnel treating MBG poisoning patients reportedly did not find consistent toxicology results. This kind of condition needs to be thoroughly investigated "involving toxicologists, psychologists, and epidemiologists" to distinguish which ones are really due to exposure to dangerous materials and which are psychogenic reactions. Careful investigation is important so that people are not trapped in the two extremes: panic too much or actually ignore real risks.
The MBG poisoning phenomenon presents major challenges in modern health communication. Public education is not only about the dangers of chemicals, but also literacy on psychological and social effects from viral information.
The Ministry of Health and public communication institutions are advised to:
Video dr. Faldi SPN has opened up important conversations about how health information is distributed and received by the public. Toxic MBG may not be just a matter of chemicals, but also a reflection of how strong collective panic effects have been in the era of social media. As long as scientific investigations have not shown definite toxicological evidence, we need to weigh two sides: the dangers of material that are not yet clear and the dangers of real panic.