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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Two more persons have come down with Ciguatera poisoning also known as fish poisoning. As we told you on Friday, the Ministry of Health sent out a warning to stay away from barracuda - this is after about 10 people had to be hospitalized after eating it.

A release sent today says that 2 other cases have been identified. It also states that it is the barracuda from the Turneffe Island area that are infected with the poison.

So again, Health officials warn to stay away from Barracuda because it is hard to tell which fish are contaminated. IN the release it says "the toxic fish does not have any odor or taste and cooking and freezing does not eliminate the toxins." It continues by saying "Avoid eating larger reef fish that have a greater likelihood of ciguatoxin, especially the barracuda and also to report any suspected fish poisoning to the local Public Health Officer so necessary action can be taken to prevent it.

IN terms of symptoms of ciguatera poisoning. It includes: Tingling and numbness in fingers and toes, around lips, tongue, mouth and throat. They can also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and or abdominal cramps Joint pains, headache and difficulty breathing.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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The Ministry of Health would like to alert the public that 2 further cases of suspected ciguatera poisoning have been identified. Investigations conducted so far reveal that the barracuda fish from the Turneffe Islands area has been the sole carrier of the ciguatoxin or poison. The public is hereby advised that toxic fish does not have any odor or taste and cooking and freezing does not eliminate the toxin.
Persons are warned that the following are symptoms people can show after eating contaminated fish suffering from ciguatera poisoning:

�Tingling and numbness in fingers and toes, around lips, tongue, mouth and throat.
�They can also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and or abdominal cramps
�Joint pains, headache
�Breathing difficulty

To prevent Ciguatera poisoning consumers should:

1.Avoid eating larger reef fish that have a greater likelihood of ciguatoxin, especially the barracuda.
2.Everyone is asked to report any suspected fish poisoning to the local Public Health Officer so necessary action can be taken to prevent it.

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,267
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Just in case you are feeling really smart and think you know better than anybody how to avoid bad fish ......imagine this food-list below being your new food lifestyle.

Explanation - You eat bad fish. Now you've got this toxic issue at some level for the rest of your life. You eat something and the dreaded/serious symptoms return. This is a very serious thing.


************

The Ciguatera Diet - Confirmed Ciguatera Triggers*

I have been living with the Ciguatera toxin for five years. Although I had stopped eating nuts, alcohol, fish, and seeds my symptoms persisted. It was not until I eliminated seed oils from my diet and from hair and skin products that I became essentially free of vertigo, mental fog, and visual disturbances. Symptoms of neuropathy may be somewhat improved.

1. Nuts, Seeds and Oils:

All cooking oils, vegetable oils, found in stores and restaurants, such as canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, are derived from seeds or nuts. No mayonnaise.
Nutritional oils such as hemp and flax seed oil are especially toxic
Skin contact with seed and nut oils must be avoided. Seed oils can act as a trigger even when absorbed through the skin in small amounts, so never touch seed oil.
Hair and skin products. Body lotion, as well as oils used in massage, acupuncture, and aromatherapy often contain olive oil and seed oils. Hair conditioner, shampoo and product often contain seed oils. Be especially careful not to use products in hotels, since the small bottles rarely list the ingredients. Any "organic" beauty product almost surely contains seed oils.
Almost every packaged edible product has seed oil in it.
Spices are ground seeds. Be careful of Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, virgin Bloody Mary mix, etc. Herbs are safe because they are leaves, not seeds; spices are seeds and are not safe.
Organic toothpaste often contains seed oils
guar gum (in ice cream) is ground endosperm of guar beans; tara gum derived from seeds; carrageenan derived from seaweed. (gum arabic ok-- it is derived from sap)
Gel capsules of vitamins, etc. typically contain seed and olive oils.
Natural vitamin e is actually derived from seed and fish oil
Be careful of Asian cuisine, processed foods, and candy, which often contain nuts and nut oils.
2. Products rich in Omega 3's, DHA, EPA and ALA's:

Never eat eggs, milk, or other foods and supplements that have been "enriched" with Omega 3's, EPA, DHA or ALA's. I hypothesize that these lipids are responsible for activating the Ciguatera toxin at the molecular level.
Avoid grass-fed meat, as it may contain higher amounts of ALA's.
Do not take hemp oil, fish oil, and other supplements conaining Omega-3s. Omega-3's are healthy for most people, but not for those of us affected by Ciguatera.
3. Whole Grains:

Eliminate whole grains such as whole wheat, barley, oats, and brown rice. The germ on these grains contains the ALA's that trigger Ciguatera. Processed white grains, such as white rice and white flour, have had the germ removed, and are therefore safe to eat.
Pseudo grains such as amaranthe and quinoa may also trigger Ciguatera
4. Legumes and Beans:

Avoid legumes, including peas, green beans, lentils, and beans.
Edamame, tofu, tempeh, and many mock meats such as tofurkey, veggieburgers, tofu dogs, etc. act as triggers
5. Seafood and Fish Oil:

Fish sauce, fish oil, seaweed, shellfish, fish, and any other foods and products from the sea must be eliminated.
No food or beauty products containing seaweed or algae.
Some organic fruits and vegetables are sprayed with fish oil as a pesticide. Wash carefully or peel produce when possible.
Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies
6. Alcohol:
Note that mouthwash and many other hygiene products contain alcohol Even small amounts of alcohol, absorbed through the gums, cause a reaction.

Potential Ciguatera Triggers

1. Tiny seeds that may not be digested: It may be possible to safely eat berries, poppyseed bagels,and other foods containing very small, whole seeds that are too small to chew and pass through the body undigested. It takes a certain amount of the oil within the seeds--perhaps a quarter of a teaspoon-- to cause a reaction. Many seeds may not be digested, or chewed open, and would be safe to eat. However, softer seeds, found in produce such as zucchini and tomatoes should be removed.
2. Seeds crushed by processing: Apple and grape seeds may be crushed in the process of making juice and vinegar. Therefore, these liquids could also be a trigger.

3. Additives in some chocolate: Most chocolate contains soy lecithin, and PGPR, which is oil from the castor bean. I stopped eating chocolate containing those additives and began eating Theo's brand dark and orange chocolate bars, available at Whole Foods grocery stores, etc. Theo's chocolate has very few ingredients and no added lecithin or oil. I have been eating it daily, and it has not caused any symptoms. If you think you may have problems with chocolate, consider that it might be the oil or soy additives, or the fact that you are still unintentionally eating or absorbing oils in other foods and skin products.

* Note that the buildup of triggers is cumulative. Determining how triggers affect you is incredibly challenging, because there is often a delay between the ingestion of trigger foods and the expression of neurological symptoms. In my case, I have symptoms seven days after eating trigger foods. If you eat even a little bit of trigger food each day, although it may not seem like much, the symptoms will be much stronger and last much longer when the reaction to the toxins finally happens. While most allergies tend to come on quickly, you must remember that ciguatera is not an allergic reaction. Your body may take days to react to the trigger, and you will not be able to determine what caused your symptoms if you do not know the time lapse in your body from trigger to symptom. Try to determine the time lapse for you between the ingestion of triggers and the onset of symptoms.

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,000
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I highly recommend not eating fish which feed on the reef like parrot fish and fish which eat these fish like barracuda. The reef itself has these poisons and some fish feed on it. The predators like barracuda feed on these fish and the poison does not effect them but it builds in them over time. Some advise only to eat small barracuda. While Ciguatera doesn't seem to be a big problem in Belize it is in other parts of the Caribbean. In the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean while I was there it was a serious problem. I've heard that the locals build up resistance to Ciguatera but .... I can't remember where I was, maybe in the Virgins and a man with his family on a boat came down this and I'm not sure if he made it. He was airlifted back to the States in real bad shape.

When I got sick in Belize several years ago and flew up to MA Gen. Hospital in Boston with the syndromes I described to the doctors the first thing out of their mouth was Ciguatera. I informed them that I knew of the disease and didn't eat reef fish and hadn't had any fish in several days. That helped rule that out. It turned out I had GBS which was probably caused by a flu shot I received in the USA a month before but some of the neurological effects can be similar.

Sometimes it is difficult to find fresh fish in San Pedro and one day quite a while ago, long before I got sick with GBS, when we first came to Belize my wife came home with a package of fish all cleaned that she bought in a store down town, it was labeled "cuda". I reminded her of our previous experience. She told me that the shop owner told her it was very good and everyone eats it but we decided no.

Hopefully this disease does not become more frequent here like it is in other parts of the Caribbean but I remain cautious.


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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No New Reported Cases of Ciguatera Poisoning

The Ministry of Health would like to notify the public that over the last two months no new cases of Ciguatera Poisoning have been reported by consumers. It is believed that this random and unusual outbreak has concluded.

Although the Ministry considers the barracuda fish may be safe to consume once again, the public is advised to continue monitoring their eating of fish and report any symptoms of fish poisoning. This will allow the detection of any future outbreaks by the Ministry of Health and provide the necessary public health response in a timely fashion.

Symptoms of the poisoning may include tingling and numbness in fingers and toes, around lips, tongue, mouth, and throat; upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea and/or abdominal cramps, joint pains, headache, and difficulty breathing.



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