Ciguatera food poisoning

Ciguatera fish poisoning has been known for centuries. It is natural food poisoning prevalent in the tropical and subtropical areas of Australia caused by the consumption of large reef fish such as Spanish mackerel, snapper, coral trout, groper, parrot fish, reef cod, barracuda and surgeon-fish, which contain ciguatoxin.

The name was given by Cuban ichthyologist Poey to a neurodigestive form of food poisoning caused by eating a small gastropod mollusk, Livona picta, locally known as ‘cigua’.

Although there are various ciguatera toxins, the most important of which are the fat soluble neurotoxin ciguatoxins; it is believed that these toxins become altered as they become ingested by progressively larger fish and move up the food chain.

Ciguatera cases are sensitive to any further very minute levels of ciguatoxin, so they must not eat reef and offshore fish.

Symptoms of ciguatera posing include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, joint aches and pains, fever and chills, and tingling around the mouth, hands and feet.

Ciguatera is reported to be most common type of seafood poisoning in the world with the estimated number of cases ranging from 50,000 to 1,000,000 annually.

In general, all large reef fish are potentially poisonous. In 1978, Halstead suggested that over 400 fish species associated with coral reefs posed risks.

In the past, the ciguatera food poisoning in human highly localized to coastal, often island communities of indigenous people.

However, with the increase food trade, increased worldwide seafood consumption and international tourism, the target populations have become international.
Ciguatera food poisoning