Ciguatera Poisoning
Okoma Mita
Professor B. Colison
FPM 110
9 August 2009
Ciguatera Poisoning
Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a type of foodborne disease that results from eating predatory ocean fish that are contaminated with ciguatoxins (Langley et al.). Ciguatoxins are lipid-soluble cyclic polyether compounds and are the most potent sodium channel toxins that we know of (Langley et al.). Carnivorous tropical and semitropical fish, such as barracuda, amberjack, red snapper, and grouper become infected with ciguatoxins by feeding on plant-eating fish that have ingested Gambierdiscus toxicus (Langley et al.). Spoilage of fish that have been caught is not a factor in toxin development, and cooking does not neutralize the toxin. The attack rate can be as high as eighty to ninety percent in people who ingest affected fish (Langley et al.). As many as 50,000 cases are reported worldwide annually, and the condition is common in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific basin, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean (Langley et al.). In the United States, five to seventy cases per 10,000 persons are estimated to take place yearly in ciguatera-endemic states and territories (Langley et al.). CFP can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea within a few hours of eating infected fish. Neurologic symptoms, can include fatigue, muscle pain, itching, tingling, and reversal of hot and cold sensation (Langley et al.). People should avoid consuming large predatory reef fish because certain anatomic parts of the fish tend to concentrate more toxin such as the head, gut, roe, and liver (Fry).
Works Cited
Fry, Fred. "BBB - Ciguatera." FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 10 June 2009. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. .
Langley, R., M. Shehee, M. MacCormack, L. Morrison, H.R. Granade, E.L. Jester, and A. Abraham. "Cluster of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning ---...
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