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* FDA letter to seafood processors: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/comm/haccp4f2.html
Toxin From Fish Causes Illness in Humans
3 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several outbreaks of ciguatera fish poisoning have been confirmed in
consumers who ate fish harvested in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the Food and Drug Administration
said Tuesday.
The FDA said that fish such as grouper, snapper, amberjack and barracuda represent the most significant
threat to consumers. They feed on fish that have eaten toxic marine algae. The toxin is stable in the tissue
of living fish and does them no harm. But larger carnivores have higher concentrations of the toxin in their
tissues. As a result, the greatest risk of poisoning for humans comes from the largest fish.
Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, vertigo and joint pain. In the most serious
cases, neurological problems can last for months or even years. Several outbreaks of the illness were
confirmed in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, the FDA said. Overall, there have been at least 28
reported cases across the country, with the first case being reported in late November.
The fish linked to the illnesses were harvested near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine S
anctuary, an area of 56 square miles in the northwestern Gulf. The FDA recommends that processors
not purchase fish harvested near the sanctuary.
Ciguatera is common in fish living in tropical and subtropical regions, including the Caribbean Sea,
the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. But the FDA has considered it rare for fish in the
northern Gulf of Mexico to have the toxin.
The FDA warned processors to reassess their hazard control plans as necessary, and that failure
to take proper precautions may cause products to be considered adulterated by the agency.
Consumers who think they may have ciguatera poisoning are encouraged to report their symptoms
and what fish they ate to a doctor or local health department.
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On the Net:
* FDA letter to seafood processors: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/comm/haccp4f2.html
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Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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