Recently, there have been a number of seafood poisoning cases that were circulating to the general public. Unfortunately, the seafood delicacy dilemma is on the rise.
Seafood poisoning is an ordeal that no one wants to deal with, but for many individuals, it is a subject matter that can be discussed from a personal standpoint. I had my run-in with eating contaminated fish.
About three weeks ago, after I indulged in the delicious fish dinner along with two other individuals, a stomach "glitch" occurred. A couple of hours after eating the fish, I thought that drinking water and juice would cure the stomach. How wrong was I? Very wrong! Instead of feeling better, it was the opposite. I began to vomit--at least three times; a headache came along a short time later, and there was the best part of the drama, the "diarrhea chronicles." These episodes lasted for at least five hours. The other two people that ate the same type of fish dinner as myself suffered the same fate. I had just realized that the fish that was consumed was contaminated. The fish was very well-cooked.
This was the case of the Ciguatera poisoning, which is the type of poisoning that consists of certain algae and algae-like organisms, or dinoflagellate. The fish that are consumed by people become poisoned as the they eat the contaminated algae. The poison is called ciguatoxin, which is also "heat-stable," meaning regardless on how well the fish is cooked, the fish is still contaminated and poisonous. This is one of the most common forms of seafood poisoning. There are also the scombroid poisoning and shellfish poisoning.
In the case of scombroid poisoning, the normal bacteria that are present on the seafood build up a very substantial amount of histamine substances. This is the result of it dying and they are not refrigerated or frozen soon after. Mackerel and the albacore are examples of fish that can contain scombroid poisoning.
With shellfish poisoning, the algae-like organisms are built-up in certain types of seafood. It mainly appear in seafood, as in clams and oysters. If anyone want to know about the symptoms of seafood poisoning, here are some of the symptoms to observe:
-Ciguatera: This can happen within two to twelve hours after the consumption of fish. Symptoms may include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. For the most part, he/she may experience a headache.
-Scombroid: Scombroid poisoning usually occur immediately after the seafood consumption. The symptoms are extremely red skin on face and the rest of the body. Nausea, vomiting, hives, itching, and flushing can also be an issue with this poisoning.
-Shellfish: There are several types of shellfish poisoning: paralytic, neurotoxic, and amnestic.
-Paralytic: With paralytic poisoning, numbness can occur half an hour after eating contaminated seafood. Individuals can also become temporarily paralyzed in the upper and lower extremities. Diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea can also be the end result.
-Neurotoxic: Symptoms are very similar to ciguatera poisoning with the vomiting, nausea, and diarrhetic experiences. It may include numbness in the mouth and the headache, just to name a few.
-Amnestic: This form of shellfish poisoning is very uncommon. Like the other forms of seafood poisoning, it begins with vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Other symptoms include some short-term memory loss and less frequent neurologic symptoms.
A large number of people throughout the world partake in eating some type of seafood, whether it is catfish, mackerel, or even shrimp. Before anyone attempt to eat any type of seafood, he/she should be educated about the different types of seafood poisoning. After having knowledge on these potential poisons that can appear in seafood, the consumers can be aware of the possibilities after eating fish or other seafood.
Source:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002851.htm
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