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Answer:
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Ciguatera is a form of poisoning
caused by the consuming of reef fishes that have fed on certain types of algae
or predatory fish that have fed upon these algae eaters and have built up a
high level of ciguatoxin, the toxin from which the name is derived. Species of
fish most frequently implicated include but are not limited to groupers,
barracuda, sea bass, amberjacks, snapper, doctorfish, parrotfish and Spanish
mackerel. Ciguatoxin acts on the body by causing changes in the electrical
potential and permeability of cells resulting in a variety of symptoms such as
abdominal pain, headache, eye irritation or vision problems, exhaustion, chest
palpitations, hot and cold sensation reversal and itching/burning in various
parts of the body. Ciguatera poisoning symptoms can last for months or even
longer and can be difficult to treat but the condition is seldom lethal.
Ciguatoxin does not uniformly concentrate in fish populations from any given
location and may differ from one fish to another even within the same species,
making it difficult to detect on a lot by lot basis. For this reason,
although the Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors for ciguatoxin, importers
of fish must ensure that reef fishes originate from suppliers that have
effective controls both on the species known to be affected by ciguatera and
the harvest areas known to be of high risk for ciguatoxin. If you are unsure of
the source of these nutritious and desirable species, it is recommended that
you contact your supplier for assurance that they are practising control over
the purchasing or fishing of potentially affected fish.
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