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Poisoning by fish and shellfish
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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[Siguater poisoning
Ciguater poisoning occurs when you eat any of the 400 species of fish that live near the tropical reefs of Florida, West India or the Pacific, where dinoflagellates produce toxins that accumulate in fish meat. Older and larger (sea bass, lucian, royal fish) fish contain more venom. The smell of fish does not change, none of the known methods of processing (including cooking) protects against poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 2-8 hours. Intestinal colic, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea continue for 6-17 hours, then there may be paresthesia, headache, myalgia, itching, pain in the face, perverted thermal sensations. Unusual sensory sensations and nervousness for several months can lead to disability. Efforts to treat such poisonings with intravenous administration of mannitol are known, but no noticeable effect was obtained.
Poisoning with mackerel
Poisoning by mackerel is due to the high content of histamine in the meat of fish due to the decomposition of bacteria after its catch. The most typical representatives are tuna, mackerel, mahi-mahi or fish-jumpers. The taste of fish can be bitter or unpleasant (caustic). Twitching of facial muscles, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, skin rashes occur a few minutes after eating and disappear within 24 hours. Symptoms are often mistaken for an allergy to sea food. Unlike other fish poisoning, this can be prevented by properly storing fish after the catch. Treatment involves the administration of a blocker of H1 and H2 receptors.
Poisoning tetrodotoxin (fish fugu)
Poisoning tetrodotoxin is most common when eating fugu fish,> 100 species (marine and freshwater) which contain tetrodotoxin. Symptoms resemble those of poisoning the ciguatera, possibly the development of a potentially fatal paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Tetrodotoxin does not degrade when cooked or frozen.
Poisoning by mollusks
Characteristic from June to October, especially on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and New England, when mussels, oysters, scallops and other marine molluscs are infected with poisonous dinoflagellates, forming a red tide. Dinoflagellates excrete neurotoxic poison saxitoxin, resistant to cooking. After 5-30 minutes after eating, paresthesias appear on the face around the lips and nose. Then there are nausea, vomiting, intestinal colic, muscle weakness. Without treatment, paralysis of the respiratory muscles can lead to death, the surviving consequences do not remain.