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level: L15 Seafood Poisoning

Questions and Answers List

level questions: L15 Seafood Poisoning

QuestionAnswer
Histamine (Scombroid) Poisoning: background- first recognized from ingestion of spoiled scrombroid group fish (tuna, mackerel, bonito); other types of fish have been linked to this type of poisoning (mahi-mahi, bluefish, marlin, escolar) - high level of free histidine in fish tissue - rapid growth of bacteria during temperature abuse of fish - bacteria convert the histidine to histamine via histidine decarboxylase enzyme - bacteria ex: Morganella, Klebsiella, Proteus spp. Enterobacter - FDA action level for histamine: 500 ppm in fish
Histamine (Scombroid) poisoning: symptoms- gastrointestinal - neurological - cutaneous - hypotension - symptoms occur rapidly (within 1 hr) - disease not fatal
Histamine (Scombroid) poisoning: prevention strategies- cold storage of fish soon after catching - proper cleaning and sanitation of fish contact surfaces - histamine is heat stable!! - avoid temp abuse of fish - avoid consumption of suspect fish
Ciguatera poisoning- in carnivorous finfish (barracuda, grouper, seabass) - > 50,000 cases occur globally every year - ciguatera toxin (ciguatoxin) - produced by toxic dinoflagellates in coral reefs in tropical and subtropical waters - toxin accumulates in fish through the food chain - high concentration in fish liver, intestines, roe (eggs), and head - symptoms develop within a few hours
Dinoflagellates- group of flagellated marine plankton that ause Ciguatera poisoning - some are photosynthetic - many are mixotrophic (combination photosynthesis with ingestion of prey)
Ciguatera poisoning symptoms- gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain - neurological: tingling feeling in lips/fingers, itching, loose teeth sensation, metallic taste, blurred vision
Ciguatera poisoning: detection- no method currently exists - avoid consumption of large reef fish, particularly the inner organs
Paralytic Shellfish poisoning- shellfish: clams, scallops, mussels - toxin produced by toxic algae (Gonyaulax catanella, Alexandrium catanella) that shellfish feed on, accumulates in tissue - several toxins can cause paralytic shellfish poison (Saxitoxin) - short incubation period, symptoms within 1hr of consumption - toxin is heat stable, not destroyed by cooking - sporadic occurrence, depends on growth of toxic algae
Paralytic shellfish poisoning: symptoms- neurological: tingling and numbness of lips/face/finger tips, drowsiness, poor coordination, incoherent speech, dry throat, respiratory failure - gastrointestinal: headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea - death in extreme cases
Toxic algae bloom influencing factors- water temperature (~8 C) - salinity - run-off and presence of nutrients
Algae causing paralytic shellfish poisoningGonyaulax catanella, Alexandrium catanella
Histamine (Scombroid) poisoning bacteriaMorganella, Klebsiella, Proteus spp. Enterobacter - decarboxylate histidine into distamine