Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: A Major Common-Source Outbreak in the U.S. Virgin Islands
- N. CARY ENGLEBERG, M.D.;
- J. GLENN MORRIS, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.&T.M.;
- JOHN LEWIS, M.D.;
- JOSEPH P. McMILLAN, Ph.D.;
- ROBERT A. POLLARD, M.A.; and
- PAUL A. BLAKE, M.D., M.P.H.
- Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia. Department of Health, Virgin Islands of the United States, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Ciguatera Research Project, College of the Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Excerpt
Ciguatera poisoning accounts for more than half of all foodborne outbreaks related to fish in the United States (1). Most clinical and epidemiologic descriptions of this toxicity are based on studies of cases defined by clinical criteria (2-5). We report the effects of ciguatera poisoning in a population defined by exposure to toxic fish during a large common-source outbreak.
The outbreak, which occurred in St. Croix in March 1981, was associated with toxic snapper. (Eighty-six percentof cases occurring in March, but only 16% of cases that occurred during the preceding 9 months were associated with consumption of snapper (p <
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors thank Albert Simmons and Othniel Caines for their assistance in the field investigation; Dwan Smith for assistance in data processing; and Dr. Barry Eisenstein for review of the manuscript.
Article and Author Information
-
▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to N.C. Engleberg, M.D.; EDB:DBD:CID 1-5428, Centers for Disease Control; Atlanta, GA 30333.
Most Read
