Cigua-what? I had never heard of the word until I was reading about an outbreak of Ciguatera in Palm Beach County, Florida recently. At least 10 people have been sickened by Ciguatera which turns out to be a specific type of food poisoning caused by ciguatoxin (a natural marine toxin) tied to certain tropical reef fish.

Some of the major culprits are:
Amberjack
Barracuda
Grouper
Hogfish
Snapper

Of course, if you’re a vegetarian you don’t have to worry, but for those fish-eaters out there, if you avoid reef-feeding fish, you should be okay. And, although they say that certain species of Grouper and Snapper are not potentially harmful, I’d rather stay safe than sorry.

As unfamiliar I was with Ciguatera, it seems more than 50,000 people worldwide, per year, are sickened by ciguatoxin-contaminated fish.

The major problem with Ciguatera is that you can’t tell a fish is contaminated until it’s too late, and unfortunately cooking the fish does not help. The toxin is so potent it takes less than one-hundredth of a gram to get you sick, and the symptoms seem hideous, often appearing within hours of eating the fish.

INITIAL GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Cramping and stomach pain

FOLLOWED BY NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS:

Headaches
Muscle aches and weakness
Tingling sensations in the mouth, lips and tongue
Dizziness
Hot/Cold reversal, i.e. hot feels cold and vice versa

If you get any of the above symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor, and report it to the Marine and Fresh Water Toxins Hotline (888) 232-8635.

However, the above symptoms are similar to other food poisonings, so it might not always be Ciguatera, so fear not. I remember a reaction I once had to MSG, at least I’m convinced it was, with every single above-mentioned symptom, except for the Hot/Cold sensations, plus severe heart palpitations. I thought I was not long for this world. It was not fun; but whereas I felt fine the next morning, the neurological troubles caused by Ciguatera can last for months and sometimes years, in severe cases.

The irony, in the case of 5 of those sickened in Palm Beach County, was that the contaminated fish was purchased at Whole Foods Markets, one of the leading Health Food Stores in the U.S.

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