All...OT...Tropical Island fans....A very good friend called me today from Aus........has been living aboard his boat in the South Seas......as idyllic as it sounds ...he has contracted a little known ( buy not uncommon)fish poisoning that he cannot shake......cases have been seen here ( and are increasing )in the US..( Fl....Hey Jim..!!)..Mex...ect.........he has been ill for 5 months.........:(..
* Ciguatera *
2. Name of Disease:
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
Ciguatera is a form of human poisoning caused by the consumption of subtropical and tropical marine finfish which have
accumulated naturally occurring toxins through their diet. The toxins are known to originate from several dinoflagellate (algae)
species that are common to ciguatera endemic regions in the lower latitudes.
3. Nature of Disease:
Manifestations of ciguatera in humans usually involves a combination of gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular
disorders. Symptoms defined within these general categories vary with the geographic origin of toxic fish.
4. Normal Course of Disease:
Initial signs of poisoning occur within six hours after consumption of toxic fish and include perioral numbness and tingling
(paresthesia), which may spread to the extremities, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurological signs include intensified
paresthesia, arthralgia, myalgia, headache, temperature sensory reversal and acute sensitivity to temperature extremes, vertigo,
and muscular weakness to the point of prostration. Cardiovascular signs include arrhythmia, bradycardia or tachycardia, and
reduced blood pressure. Ciguatera poisoning is usually self-limiting, and signs of poisoning often subside within several days
from onset. However, in severe cases the neurological symptoms are known to persist from weeks to months. In a few isolated
cases neurological symptoms have persisted for several years, and in other cases recovered patients have experienced
recurrence of neurological symptoms months to years after recovery. Such relapses are most often associated with changes in
dietary habits or with consumption of alcohol. There is a low incidence of death resulting from respiratory and cardiovascular
failure.
5. Diagnosis of Human Illness:
Clinical testing procedures are not presently available for the diagnosis of ciguatera in humans. Diagnosis is based entirely on
symptomology and recent dietary history. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) designed to detect toxic fish in field situations is under
evaluation by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and may provide some measure of protection to the public in
the future.
6. Associated Foods:
Marine finfish most commonly implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning include the groupers, barracudas, snappers, jacks, mackerel,
and triggerfish. Many other species of warm-water fishes harbor ciguatera toxins. The occurrence of toxic fish is sporadic, and
not all fish of a given species or from a given locality will be toxic.
7. Relative Frequency of Disease:
The relative frequency of ciguatera fish poisoning in the United States is not known. The disease has only recently become
known to the general medical community, and there is a concern that incidence is largely under-reported because of the
generally non-fatal nature and short duration of the disease.
8. Target Population:
All humans are believed to be susceptible to ciguatera toxins. Populations in tropical/subtropical regions are most likely to be
affected because of the frequency of exposure to toxic fishes. However, the increasing per capita consumption of fishery products
coupled with an increase in interregional transportation of seafood products has expanded the geographic range of human
poisonings.
9. Analysis of Foods:
The ciguatera toxins can be recovered from toxic fish through tedious extraction and purification procedures. The mouse
bioassay is a generally accepted method of establishing toxicity of suspect fish. A much simplified EIA method intended to
supplant the mouse bioassay for identifying ciguatera toxins is under evaluation.
10. Selected Outbreaks:
Isolated cases of ciguatera fish poisoning have occurred along the eastern coast of the United States from south Florida to
Vermont. Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico experience sporadic cases with some regularity. A major outbreak of
ciguatera occurred in Puerto Rico between April and June 1981 in which 49 persons were afflicted and two fatalities occurred.
This outbreak prompted government officials of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to ban the sale of barracuda, amberjack, and
blackjack.
In February-March of 1987 a large common-source outbreak of ciguatera occurred among Canadian vacationers returning from a
Caribbean resort. Of 147 tourists, 61 ate a fish casserole shortly before departure, resulting in 57 identified cases of ciguatera.
In May of 1988 several hundred pounds of fish (primarily hogfish) from the Dry Tortuga Bank were responsible for over 100
human poisonings in Palm Beach County, Florida. The fish were sold to a seafood distributor after the fishermen (sport
spearfishermen) themselves were first afflicted but dismissed their illness as seasickness and hangover. The poisonings resulted
in a statewide warning against eating hogfish, grouper, red snapper, amberjack, and barracuda caught at the Dry Tortuga Bank. |
