Ciguatera fish poisoning in Miami
D. N. Lawrence, M. B. Enriquez, R. M. Lumish and A. Maceo
Ciguatoxic fish constitute a continuing foodborne disease problem in Miami.
Information from 129 cases of ciguatera fish poisoning reported to the Dade
County (Miami) department of Public Health during 1974 to 1976 was used for
epidemiologic study of the syndrome. The case definition required that both
gastrointestinal and paresthetic neurological symptoms be experienced
within 36 hours after eating fish. Grouper and snapper were the fish most
frequently implicated. Neither methods of storage nor means of preparation
seemed to affect fish toxicity. A predominantly late spring and summer
seasonality was noted. The true annual incidence of this syndrome in Miami
may be ten times the number reported to the health department, suggesting
an average annual incidence of at least five cases per 10,000 resident
population. Recent advances in ciguatoxin research may lead to much needed
assays for toxin detection.
