| In my previous article on shellfish and crustaceans | | | | accumulate mostly in the liver, pancreas, gills and |
| I referred to instances of when seafood became | | | | head but is also present in potentially problematic |
| contaminated once it was out of the sea. There | | | | concentrations throughout the muscle tissue as |
| are many forms of seafood poisoning and I would | | | | well. |
| like to talk of one of the more problematic and | | | | Cases of ciguatera are seen mostly where raw |
| undetectable forms of seafood poisoning that we | | | | seafood flesh is served but it is important to |
| encounter quite often. | | | | stress that the toxin is not destroyed or |
| In the field of food hygiene we must also look at | | | | neutralized by the cooking process nor is it |
| the condition of food which has been caught in | | | | destroyed by the powerful acid (HCl) which is |
| the wild. This includes the world's fisheries industry. | | | | present in our stomachs during the digestive |
| Wild sea food, particularly that which has been | | | | process. |
| caught on or around coral reefs, is thought to be | | | | The reaction experienced by victims of ciguaterra |
| superior to sources which are grown by | | | | include all or most of the classic allergic reaction |
| aquaculture technologies. Locus, red snapper, | | | | symptoms. Sufferers may experience sweating, |
| lobster and shrimp caught and served fresh from | | | | dizziness, nausea, fainting, tightness of breath, |
| the coral reef are prized as delicacies. | | | | burning of the mouth, itchiness, rashes, blurring of |
| All creatures that live on the coral reef are part | | | | the vision and other symptoms. |
| of a food chain. Everybody is eaten by somebody | | | | This may sound frightening but although highly |
| else eventually. The food chain begins with single | | | | unpleasant, Ciguaterra is very rarely fatal, |
| cell creatures such as plankton. Some forms of | | | | especially if the victim arrives promptly to a place |
| plankton emit a toxin called "ciguatoxin". The | | | | where he or she can receive modern medical |
| reaction to this toxin in humans is called | | | | treatment. Patients usually make a full recover |
| "ciguaterra". (sig-ua-terra). | | | | within three to five days. |
| The plankton enters the food chain at the bottom | | | | Some cases can be fatal but these cases are |
| end where it is eaten my small coral reef | | | | usually where people have severe medical |
| creatures. The small creatures are eaten by | | | | conditions or other sensitivities that can be |
| bigger ones until, finally we arrive at the sea | | | | sparked off in conjunction with the symptoms of |
| creatures that we love to sea on our plates at | | | | Ciguaterra. |
| the seafood restaurant. | | | | The only way to protect yourself is never to eat |
| It is important to stress that although the toxin is | | | | seafood in restaurants in locations that you have |
| released into the flesh of the fish it has little or no | | | | no prior knowledge of. Prefer to eat fish species |
| effect upon them and they can continue to live | | | | from the open sea or freshwater sources. Eat or |
| out there lives and function quite well despite | | | | buy seafood from reputable businesses that have |
| being infected by the toxin. The toxin tends to | | | | no previously reported incidences of Ciguaterra. |