Ciguatera

hey Tim

Here's a great site with tons of info:
http://www.caribbeancompass.com/ciguafinish.html

TJD123.
About 300 cases per year reported to the CDC, from the USVI. Reef Fish, Barracuda, Grouper, and Snapper. No taste difference, No smell difference. To be 100% safe eat cereal but not from china.

Yeah, avoid those fish that Lizard mentions, but tuna, mahi mahi (dolphin) and also wahoo are safe to eat.

thanks everyone

beautiful, my worries were relatively unfounded.

hey everyone

I've researched this topic a little further and now am finding conflicting information regarding wahoo and ciguatera!

According to this site: http://www.seafoodchoices.com/smartchoices/species_wahoo.php - Wahoo is one of several marine fish species known to carry toxic algae that can cause ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), which can cause nausea and vomiting. The toxin that causes CFP cannot be killed by cooking or freezing.

But this site ( http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00054548.htm ) says:
Ciguatera toxins are produced by dinoflagellates, which herbivorous fish consume. These fish are then eaten by large, predatory reef fish (e.g., barracuda, grouper, and amberjacks), which appear to be unharmed by the toxin; because the toxins are lipid-soluble, they accumulate through the food chain. The toxin may be most concentrated in the head, viscera, and roe. Ciguatoxin-containing fish may be highly localized; islands may have some reefs where the fish are inedible because of the toxin and other reefs where the fish are unaffected. No deep-sea fish (e.g., tuna, dolphin, or wahoo) have been found to carry ciguatoxin

So now I'm not sure!

http://www.spearfishing.com/news/8678553.htm?PHPSESSID=13afe1cd50cb11d38450cb196d2fffcc

That link should take you to the article about this diver who caught a 94 pound snapper and tested it for Cig. before he was going to eat it. It tested positive. Considering the tests are $10 for 1, I am starting to think that Ciguetera is becoming more popular or else people wouldn't be shelling out 10 bucks to test a fish before they eat it. May as well buy an imported filet for the price of a test kit.

A Happy meal at a fast food chain is only going to cost $4.99 if you don't super size!

hey Tim, that was a very interesting article, thanks. Huge fish, too!

Lizard: I'd rather have a fresh tuna steak or blackened mahi over a Happy Meal ANY day of the week! haha!

If you like numbers, here is something to think about. The population of the USVI is approx 112,000., With the tourist that eat fish lets say 100,000, per year. So thats 212,000 people on the islands per year. The CDC reports 300 cases per year, that's only a 1.5 % chance of getting sick by eating fish.

yeah, id take the fish steak over a happy meal any day of the week!

Lizard and TJD,

You may be interested int the following article from the CDC

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/gis/conference98/proceedings/html/stinn.html

Most cases of the poisoning are not reported to the CDC so the 300 cases per year are most likely a low estimate. The toxin has different effects on different people--some people have minor symptoms, others never fully recover. I recall Jane mentioning a while back on another cigua thread that her husband treated quite a number of cases at the STX hospital.

I'd expect the majority of cases to be in locals who routinely eat reef fish as their odds go up that they will get sick with ciguatera someday.

I work with a local man who eats a lot of fish & gets quite sick from ciguatera & each time he seems to be sicker with it. I'm 99% sure he never goes to a doctor. I had a relative who got it in Mexico & landed in the hospital stateside where they weren't sure what was wrong with her until I mentioned the possiblity of ciguatera. It can be very serious.

Just when we thought is was safe to...

Unfortunately much of the sea life we have been eating for centuries is now full of poison.

Wahoo (mackerel), tuna, dolphin are not safe to eat. In most waters they are loaded with mercury. In fact those three along with shark and swordfish are in the" most mercury "contaminated class. Also roughy, marlin and grouper.

I think I'll stick to corn flakes.

corn flakes aren't sounding so bad any more!

no, I still want fresh yellow-fin ahi tuna, preferably caught 10 minutes before being served sashimi style with wasabi, ginger and soy sauce!

the older island ladies tell me sweet potatos and milk eases the pain, who knows? i only eat tuna and wahoo