Ciguatera

Ciguatera

Ciguatera is the most frequently reported seafood-toxin illness in the world. It is a food borne illness caused by eating fish containing toxins produced by dinoflagellate, a form of micro-algae, Gambierdiscus toxicus. The most common symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, dizziness, and vertigo. While there is no cure for Ciguatera, there are multiple treatments available. This disease has an annual reporting rate of roughly 50,000.

Disease Pathology

The ciguatera toxin is found in large reef fish, most often the barracuda, grouper, red snapper, eel, amberjack, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel. When large predator fish, such as the barracuda eat smaller fish that consume toxin-producing algae, such as dinoflagellates, the toxin accumulates in the bigger fish. While the Ciguatera toxin is harmless to fish, it is poisonous to humans. The toxin is difficult to detect, as it is odorless and tasteless and cannot be destroyed by cooking. This is particularly relevant as the primary way humans are exposed to the toxin is eating ciguatera-contaminated tropical or subtropical fish. Once ingested, the toxin activates voltage-dependent sodium channels causing symptoms in human gastrointestinal, cardiac, and nerve tissues.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and dizziness. There are also feelings of numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Some people may also experience a reversal in sensations, ie. hot feels cold and vice versa. Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning generally begins six to eight hours after eating the contaminated fish, and can last anywhere from a few days or weeks to years, in extreme cases, death.