Home » Health » Eating certain types of coral fish in Hong Kong can result in ciguatera poisoning with a range of symptoms including paralysis and breathing difficulties lasting several years. The Center for Food Safety advises those who eat fish to avoid the five most toxic parts – liver, intestines, head, eggs and skin – and reduce consumption of coral fish weighing over three catties. It also warns against consuming alcohol, peanuts and beans whilst eating coral fish, and has advised those who have had ciguatoxin poisoning to avoid the fish altogether.
Eating certain types of coral fish in Hong Kong can result in ciguatera poisoning with a range of symptoms including paralysis and breathing difficulties lasting several years. The Center for Food Safety advises those who eat fish to avoid the five most toxic parts – liver, intestines, head, eggs and skin – and reduce consumption of coral fish weighing over three catties. It also warns against consuming alcohol, peanuts and beans whilst eating coral fish, and has advised those who have had ciguatoxin poisoning to avoid the fish altogether.
Recently, two men in Hong Kong, Japan, suffered from ciguatera poisoning after eating yellow tiger spots, resulting in paralysis of limbs and rashes. According to the Center for Food Safety, “ciguatera toxin” is mainly stored in coral fish, and there are five parts with the most toxins. There are 12 species of marine fish commonly found in Hong Kong that contain ciguatera, and 12 consequences such as breathing difficulties can occur if inadvertently eaten. If you eat fish while eating the three types of food, the symptoms will be aggravated.
Eastern star spot.
According to the Center for Health Protection, the two men, aged 61 and 64, bought the yellow-skinned tiger spot at a temporary fish stall in Aberdeen earlier, and developed abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning such as paralysis of limbs, nausea and rash.
GettySchematic
Ciguatoxin can cause dyspnea symptoms lasting up to several years
According to the Center for Food Safety, ciguatera is mainly found in reef fish, and humans will experience gastrointestinal or nervous system discomfort after eating, and the symptoms can last up to several years. Early symptoms of poisoning appear as soon as 30 minutes after eating fish containing ciguatera toxin.
Swallowtail Star Spot.
According to the Center for Food Safety, the first symptoms of ciguatera poisoning can appear within 30 minutes. However, under normal circumstances, symptoms of poisoning will not appear until 24 to 48 hours after eating fish containing ciguatera. Patients initially experience gastrointestinal or neurologic discomfort that can persist for up to several years:
1. Vomiting
2. Diarrhea
3. Nausea
4. Abdominal pain
5. Tingling pain in mouth and extremities
6. Itchy skin
7. Temperature cognition has changed
8. tired
9. Muscle and joint pain
10. Low blood pressure
11. Bradycardia
12. Dyspnea and pauses
What is ciguatera?Fish 2 parts are 100 times more toxin
What is ciguatera? The Center for Food Safety explained that ciguatera is produced because herbivorous fish eat toxic marine plankton attached to coral reefs, and then larger carnivorous fish eat these toxin-containing fish, and the toxin passes through the food chain. Build up in layers. When humans eat toxin-containing fish, the toxin enters the human abdomen.
For fish containing ciguatera toxin, the toxin content in internal organs and genitals is 50 to 100 times higher than that in other parts, but the fish itself has no symptoms, so it is impossible to tell whether a fish is poisonous from its appearance, taste, meat quality and smell. In addition, ciguatera toxin is heat resistant, so it cannot be eliminated through cooking or processing.
red scorpion.
12 common fish species contain ciguatera, including eastern star spotted tiger
According to the Center for Food Safety, ciguatera fish are mostly found in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean, and it is not uncommon for many live reef fish sold in Hong Kong to come from these waters. There are 12 common fish species that contain ciguatoxin:
1. Oil 𩺬
2. Money dragon grouper
3. Blue Melon Seed Spot
4. Tiger spots
5. Rat class
6. Su Mei
7. Western Star Spot
8. Leopard Star Spots
9. Swallowtail Star Spot
10. Red bream
11. Cedar spots
12. East star spots
The 5 parts of Shidong star spot are prone to ciguatera poisoning, and 12 kinds of marine fish are the most dangerous and prone to poisoning after drinking alcohol.
Coral fish East star spot 5 parts have the most toxins and drink alcohol to accelerate the poisoning
The Center for Food Safety reminds that to avoid ciguatera poisoning, you must avoid eating 5 parts of coral fish, and avoid eating with 3 kinds of food, otherwise the symptoms of poisoning will be aggravated:
To avoid ciguatera poisoning, pay attention to the following 4 major items:
1. Do not eat the 5 parts of coral fish: fish liver, fish intestines, fish head, fish eggs, fish skin. Because there are more ciguatera toxins in these parts.
2. Reduce the frequency and amount of eating coral fish, especially sea fish weighing more than three catties. Because the larger the reef fish, the higher the risk of ciguatera toxin, and the higher the toxin content.
3. Avoid alcohol, peanuts or beans when eating coral fish to prevent symptoms from aggravating.
4. People who have had ciguatoxin poisoning should avoid eating coral fish.
