|
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Any thoughts/comments with this?
Ciguatera Poisoning
Ciguatera is a poisoning resulting from eating certain fish in particular environments in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and The Caribbean.
The poison occurs naturally in algae and plankton, the lower part of the marine food chain. The little fish eat the algae, the big fish eat the little fish, the bigger fish eat the big fish and so on. The effects of the poison are related to the dose you get, so the bigger the fish, the more IT has eaten, and the sicker YOU get.
The locals usually know which fish carry the highest risk.Mackerel caught around mid October in Australia are a classic cause of the condition, as are some Great Barrier Reef and semi-pelagic saltwater fish including red bass, chinamanfish (chinaman cod), paddle tail, snapper, spanish mackerel, moray eels, wrasse, trigger fish, and queenfish. Even coral trout has been incriminated as an occasional carrier.
Captain Cook reported the first case of ciguatera poisoning in the Pacific in 1774 while in the New Hebrides. He suffered poisoning twice, and red bass was thought to be responsible on both times.
Symptoms
Symptoms range from none at all to severe and incapacitating, and come on within one hour, or be delayed for 24 hours or more. The illness lasts for an average of about 8 days, but in some cases symptoms can take months to years to disappear.
The symptoms are very varied.Sweating may be the first sign that something is wrong but the most common symptom is altered sensation around the lips, mouth, tonge and throat. This may be felt as numbness, tingling or even extreme sensitivity, and reversed feelings of heat. The sufferer complains may complain of hot foods feeling cold, and vice versa.
Tingling or itching in the extremities may persist for weeks and be set off by exposure to water or cold. Disturbance of sensation may occur elsewhere in the body, including severe stabbing pain in the genitals (sorry guys!).
Heaviness, weakness, and muscle pains of the body, legs and arms, and a lack of co-ordination may also occur. Gut symptoms of nausea, vomiting, pain in tummy, cramps, abnormal metallic taste, aching of the teeth and a watery diarrhoea may occur. Tightness in the jaw and face muscles have been described.
Tiredness, dizziness and exhaustion may occur and even paralysis of breathing so that life support is required. Alcohol makes the symptoms worse.
No immunity develops after an attack, and in fact the second time around a much smaller dose is required to produce symptoms.
Can it be fatal?
The death rate world wide is reported to be 10-12%; however in Australia it is exceptionally low. It is usually not fatal, although there is a report of 1500 men dying from ciguatera poisoning during the British naval expedtion against Mauritius in 1748
Avoidance
It is not possible to detect the toxin before eating the fish, which appear quite healthy and the taste and smell of the flesh is not affected.
Probably the simplest precaution is not to eat the fish if your hands feel numb after cleaning it, or if there is any suggestion of a stinging sensation after skinning or filleting it.
Some authorities recommend feeding the viscera of the fish to a cat and confine it for observation. However, the cat may vomit, become uncoordinated, or even die within 48 hours. This is obviously extremely hard on the poor cat, and a more humane option should be entertained first. Testing a small amount of fish flesh on a healthy adult in your party the night before is a better solution, if you can find a willing victim.
A few other avoidance measures include:
Ask the locals as the toxic fish may be confined to a narrow area like one side of a small island.
Avoid the biggest fish of the catch.
At no time eat or handle red bass, chinaman fish, paddle tail, or moray eels.
If still in doubt, stick to safe fish like mullet, whiting, bream and flathead.
The poison is very stable and resistant to heat and drying, so cooking does not deactivate the poison. Soaking the fish won't work either as the poison is not water soluble.
another article:
The species of fish which may cause ciguatera include those listed below ( 7, ). For a more comprehensive list of species go to http://www.fishbase.org/search.cfm and search for ciguatera under topic search.
Spanish mackerel
Dog tooth tuna
Skipjack tuna
Pacific kingfish
Barracuda
Trigger fish
Jacks
Snapper(Lutjanidae)
Various species of cod or groper
Sea bass
Barramundi Reef shark
Moray eel
Coral trout
Dolphin fish
Trevally
Sea perch
Parrotfish
Surgeon fish
Yellowtail
Mullet
Pigeye shark
Of these fish, large carnivorous reef inhabiting fish such as the barracuda are generally considered the most toxic species ( 2, 9, 11,18, 26 ) although pelagic fish like the Spanish mackerel seem to cause the most outbreaks of ciguatera ( 18 ) Some fish, such as red bass ( bohar snapper ) and paddletail, may be banned from sale in some localities ( 18, 32 ).
Although it is often considered that so called pelagic fish ( ie. fish which prefer the open sea ) are free from the risk of ciguatera, this is not necessarily true (18 ). Certain commercially important species from the tuna and mackerel family for instance, are known conveyors of ciguatera, so much so in fact, that in Queensland, 65% of ciguatera cases are caused by pelagic fish such as mackerel ( 18 ). These include both skipjack tuna and dog tooth tuna as well as the various species of mackerel ( 7, 18, 30 ). Even pelagic fish like tuna may frequent coastal areas during certain seasons or when breeding ( 19, 21, 30 ).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
not very evident locally . . . Dept of Health would normally issue Health warnings similar to red tide poisoning that affects mussels during the summer months . . . i'd be more worried with fish exposed to heavy metal (mercury, lead etc) . . . . also C&R big fish to avoid cigua 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| nonong |
 |
| OLD SALT - DIE HARD ANGLER |
 |
|
|
|
|
I don't eat barracuda (any size) as they are known ciguatera carriers.
Try the gullet slit test. Insert some fingers in.... when the fingers feel itchy or numb.... do not under any circumstance cook and eat the fish species. I checked a barry out this way and just gave it away to the boatman with a warning not to eat it. Good for strip baits only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| nonong |
|
| OLD SALT - DIE HARD ANGLER |
|
|
|
|
|
If the waters are rich in Bangus or the local reefs are sources of aquarium fish chances are you won't get the condition. Caught a big GT off a Zambales Island and this fish fed 4 families on a Holy Week dinner. No side effects were noted by those who ate it. Ask around the fishing villages if there are ciguatera species. A snorkel buddy or scuba bud will confirm the lack of colorful grazers like clownfish in the reef areas.
Fish away from the reefs.... 1 or 2 to 3 kms. out is good.
Avoid the colorful groupers with the red skin and blue dots. Local boatmen know what is bad and what is good. Popper trolling over a live reef (or near its edge) are for catch and release only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| nonong |
|
| OLD SALT - DIE HARD ANGLER |
|
|
|
|
|
Never experiment with unknown reef species. Most are toxic or poisonous species. I repeat..... stay away from the reef areas if you are in to trolling. Popper trolling for fun may produce snappers. Use the gullet slit test as i mentioned.
NEVER tinker with Moray Eels. They are filled with the cig toxin. Highly poisonous. I used one only as a strip bait source and hooked a snapper off a Puerto Galera beach. Handed the rod to my cousin as it was already full dark and we ate the fish for breakfast. Cleaned out the stomach/gill areas first. Don't emulate this as a snap could ingest the eel and even this small piece will have tragic effects on human feeders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have to disagree with you on this Nonong. I prefer trolling near shore and I always see moray eels in the market. I would not generalize that quick or worry too much about getting cig poisoned.
Here's some key points from: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section1257 ... _12501.htm
What is Ciguatera Fish Poisoning and where does it occur?
Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a common foodborne disease related to the consumption of subtropical and tropical marine finfish which have accumulated naturally occurring toxins through their diet. The concerned –ciguatoxic -fish are either feeding on small algae species known as dinoflagellates or feeding on toxic herbivore fish. The main toxic dinoflagellate is Gambierdicus toxicus which is found primarily in sub- and tropical areas where it lives in association with other algae on dead corals.
Are all tropical area and coral reefs toxic?
No. The majority of coral reefs are not ciguatoxic. Outbreaks of ciguatera are limited in distribution and time and are usually very localised. Thus knowledge of toxic areas is usually based on local experience from fishermen and consumers. Toxic fish may be found in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions and in the tropical Caribbean. In the Indian Ocean, endemic areas are known to be around the Reunion island, parts of Madagascar and Indonesia. Ciguatera poisoning is virtually unknown in the Maldives.
How to detect ciguatera fish poisoning?
Determinations for ciguatera are usually limited to symptomatic diagnoses. Clinical symptoms vary widely but are characterized by gastrointestinal, neurological and cardiovascular disturbances often within 10 min but also up to 24 h after ingestion of toxic fish. The initial symptoms are similar to any other food poisoning (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea). The most common neurological symptoms are tingling and numbness in the mouth and the extremities, muscle cramping and sensation of temperature reversal (a sensory inversion whereby hot or warm objects feel cold and cold objects may feel warm). Other symptoms include headache, vertigo, hallucinations, salivation, and perspiration. Hallucinations seem to be more often reported in cases in the western Indian Ocean than from other part of the world. The disease is generally non-fatal and of short duration. However, in a few severe cases, symptoms can persist for months or even years.
Detection for ciguatera requires specialized analytical methods and/or particular bioassays. The most common assay are mouse assays. In recent years, new rapid tests have been developed and are being evaluated. It is worth nothing that the toxins isolated in the Pacific, the Caribbean and in the Indian Ocean all differs slightly and therefore caution should be taken in using reference material or tests developed from another region. The pathogenic dose for humans is 23-230 µg and usual regulatory tolerance is that it must not be detected in a product. These clinical determinations are limited in practice and depend on a sample of the actual suspect fish.
What to do in case of a suspected ciguatera fish poisoning case?
In case of a suspected ciguatera fish poisoning, consult a medical doctor. Many physicians are not familiar with ciguatera in particular in areas where this toxin is not endemic. One should therefore describe the symptoms and concerns. Unfortunately, there is no single specific remedy for the treatment of ciguatera fish poisoning. The most successful management of the disease has been accomplished by supportive and symptomatic treatment such as induced vomiting. It is important to try to obtain portions of the meal and in particular the fish to assist in confirming the diagnosis. These portions should be packaged and frozen for any subsequent analysis.
What can be done to prevent or avoid ciguatera fish poisoning?
The ciguatoxin is very heat-stable. Normal household cooking (e.g boiling, steaming, frying) will not reduce or eliminate the toxin. Consumers should exercise caution in areas of concern for particular tropical species. In areas prone to ciguatera Improved hazard analysis for ciguatera should be established to determine locations, seasonal variation, species involved, consumers at risk, sources of contaminated fish, etc.
In Cuba, for example, detailed analysis of epidemiological records on ciguatoxin poisonings has led to dose/response data being defined as functions of the size of fish consumed and have allowed limit weights (critical limits) to be set for five of the most important species and potential toxicity to be set for another 15 species (regardless of their weight). Similar work could be done elsewhere to get a better knowledge of size and species of fish to avoid in a particular area. Targeted information campaigns can then be designed in the areas and during the periods of the year where the problem is more likely to occur, to inform target populations of the risk.
Which fish can be ciguatoxic ?
Ciguatoxin is produced initially by a microscopic alga and is stored in the tissues of fish species consuming these algae, increasing in concentration in large carnivorous fishes. Fishes from some reef areas may be toxic, while those from others may not be. The same species of fish that is ciguatoxic in one area may be safe in another.
By talking to local fishermen one can learn which areas to avoid and which fishes may be dangerous to eat. It is the location where a fish is caught, more than its species, that determines whether a fish is ciguatoxic. Therefore, a comprehensive list of non-ciguatoxic fishes cannot be provided. Between 300 to 400 species of fish have been implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning. If no information is available, it is wise not to eat any large reef fishes, since such specimens may have accumulated sufficient toxin during their lifetimes to be. However, among the large reef fish only very few have been found to be poisonous.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
