Category Archives: Ciguatera Poisoning

EU Research – Risk characterisation of ciguatera poisoning in Europe

Posted on May 26, 2021 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

The EuroCigua project main objective is to characterize the risk of Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) in Europe including several specific objectives: to determine the incidence of ciguatera in Europe and the epidemiological characteristics of cases; to assess the presence of ciguatoxin in food and the environment in Europe and to develop and validate methods for the detection, quantification and confirmation of the presence of ciguatoxin contaminated specimens.

This report compiles the activities carried out during the EuroCigua project from the signing in April 2016 until December 2020. The present document corresponds to Deliverable No. 6: “Final Scientific Report” on Risk characterization of ciguatera food poisoning in Europe of the Specific Agreement no. 1 “MANAGEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION” within the Framework Partnership Agreement GP/EFSA/AFSCO/2015/03 “Risk characterization of ciguatera food poisoning in Europe”.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Toxin, Gambierdiscus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Poisoning, Research, Toxin

Hong Kong – Officials investigate ciguatoxin poisoning cases

Posted on April 9, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

Hong Kong health officials report investigating a suspected ciguatoxin poisoning cases affecting two people.

The case involves two females, aged 34 and 66 respectively, who developed symptoms of ciguatoxin poisoning including abdominal pain and diarrhea about six to seven hours after consuming a marine fish for dinner at home on April 5. The latter patient also developed perioral numbness and attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Kwong Wah Hospital the next day. She was admitted for further management. Both patients are in a stable condition.

Initial inquiries revealed that the fish consumed was bought from a fish stall in Yeung Uk Road Market, Tsuen Wan, on April 4.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Biotoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin

Research – Ciguatera fish poisoning on the rise.

Posted on March 27, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Saipan Tribune

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. has lately seen an increase in ciguatera fish poisoning cases due to the consumption of various shallow- to deep-water bottom fish and has warned the public to avoid eating fish larger than about 4-6 lbs.

Ciguatera fish poisoning, or CFP, is a common food-borne illness related to the consumption of certain species of fish that have been contaminated with plankton (algae) derived toxin associated with coral reefs. The ciguatera toxin is non-detectable as it does not harm the fish and is unrecognizable when consumed. Unlike other food-borne illnesses, CFP is not transferred from cross-contamination due to inadequate food handler hygiene, food preparation, cooking, handling, and storage. In addition, the ciguatera toxin can withstand cooking and freezing temperatures and is not preventable if the fish species already harbors the toxin.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Marine Biotoxin, Toxin

Research – Project confirms growing threat in Europe from toxins created by microalgae

Posted on January 11, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

gam

A project looking at the risk of ciguatera poisoning in Europe has finished work after almost five years.

An international scientific meeting was held in October for the EuroCigua project which began in April 2016 and ends this month.

Ciguatera is a type of food poisoning associated with consumption of fishery products that contain toxins produced by a microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. The toxin does not affect the appearance, odor or taste of the fish and is not destroyed by cooking, refrigeration or freezing.

It causes an estimated 10,000 to 50,000 cases per year worldwide and outbreaks have been reported in Spain and Portugal. From 2012 to 2018, four European countries reported 23 ciguatera outbreaks and 167 cases.

Results confirmed the appearance of ciguatera in the European Union, having identified native species of fish with ciguatoxins in Macaronesia, Madeira and the Canary Islands. The presence of Gambierdiscus in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus and Greece was also detected, as well as the first finding in the Balearic Islands.

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Posted in Algal Blooms, Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Gambierdiscus, Research

Research – New file of the Map of dangers on the ciguatera

Posted on October 25, 2020 by | Leave a comment

ACSA

In the Hazard Map database we have added in the group of chemical hazards, such as marine toxins, the ciguatera.

Fish poisoning called ciguatera or ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) occurs because they have ingested a large amount of ciguatoxin-producing algae: these are benthic dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus spp .

Cytokines (CTXs) accumulate in the fish that ingest them directly (rockfish) or in their predators, where this accumulation reaches higher levels.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, Food Microbiology Research, Marine Biotoxin, Research, Toxin

Hong Kong – Hong Kong officials investigate two suspected ciguatoxin poisoning cases

Posted on September 21, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported Friday the investigation of two suspected ciguatoxin poisoning cases.

The cases, one male and one female, aged 9 and 16 respectively, who developed symptoms of ciguatoxin poisoning including nausea and tongue numbness about 30 minutes to one and a half hours after consuming a marine fish at a restaurant in To Kwa Wan Thursday.

Both patients are now in stable condition.

Ciguatera fish poisoning is not uncommon in tropical areas. It is mainly associated with the consumption of big coral reef fish which have accumulated the toxin in the body, particularly in internal organs, through eating small fish that consumed toxic algae in coral reef seas.

A larger fish is therefore more likely to carry higher amounts of the toxin. However, it is not easy to tell from the appearance of the fish whether it contains the toxin.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Biotoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, microbial contamination, Microbiology

Netherlands – Ciguatera poisoning from imported fish suspected in the Netherlands

Posted on June 15, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Five people in the Netherlands have been affected by ciguatera poisoning likely caused by frozen red snapper steaks from India.

Those sick had a meal together in mid-May and developed symptoms including gastroenteritis and neurological complaints within three hours. None of them needed hospital treatment.

Tjitte Mastenbroek, a press officer at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), said probable ciguatoxin poisoning was established.

“One original sealed package of the fish was still available in the household and is currently being analyzed for neurotoxins. Outcome of this analysis of the red snapper fish is expected next week. Currently it is unknown if this case is related to a point source (e.g. a single fish) within the batch, which could have been contaminated with ciguatoxins,” he said.

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Posted in Algal Toxin, Biotoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin, Uncategorized

New Zealand -Ciguatera cases linked to imported fish in New Zealand

Posted on June 10, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Five people from two households in New Zealand became ill with ciguatera poisoning after eating fish imported from Fiji earlier this year.

The outbreak in Christchurch affected three males of 19 to 58 years old and two females – one aged in her 40s and the other in her 50s. One person was hospitalized and diagnosed with ciguatera poisoning but has since recovered.

In late May, Krazy Price Mart Ltd recalled a batch of frozen camouflage grouper (kawakawa) due to ciguatoxin. The item was sold as an individual whole gutted fish wrapped in clear plastic but was not labelled so had no date marking. It was available between March 10 and May 21, 2020 only at Krazy Price Mart Ltd in Christchurch.

 

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Posted in Biotoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert – Ciguatera Poisoning – Frozen Red Snapper Steaks

Posted on June 5, 2020 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – ciguatera poisoning suspected to be caused by frozen red snapper steaks (Lutjanus bohar) from India, via France in the Netherlands

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Posted in Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF, Uncategorized

Luxembourg – SEA SNAPPER STEAKS – (LUTJANUS BOHAR) FROM THE SEAPRO BRAND – CIGUATERA POISONING

Posted on June 1, 2020 by | Leave a comment

SAP

 Product recalls • Alerts

Information Source: European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)

Distribution in Luxembourg: Tandoori Market

The Luxembourg food safety authorities inform about the following recall:

Danger : ciguatera poisoning

Last name Snapper steaks (Lutjanus bohar)
Mark Seapro
Aspect Plastic packaging
Lot 85205-2217

Only the products listed in the table are affected.

The information provided does not exclude that part of the products have been sold to the end consumer.

Ciguatera usually involves a combination of gastrointestinal, neurological and, sometimes, cardiovascular disorders. The symptoms defined in these general categories vary depending on the geographic origin of the toxic fish and, to some extent, the species of fish. People who have consumed the products mentioned above and who present this type of symptoms are invited to consult a doctor and report this consumption.

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Posted in Biotoxin, Ciguatera, Ciguatera Poisoning, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin, Uncategorized