Deng-Fwu Hwang (m):Next I will talk about the tropical sea fish toxin. It is found in fish in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones. Eating these fish, even if caught alive, and cooked immediately, could lead to food poisoning.

Welcome veg-embracing viewers to another episode of Healthy Living. Today we present part one in our two-part series on seafood poisoning which is caused by consuming fish or shellfish tainted with toxins.

In the USA it is the primary cause of foodborne illness. Typical symptoms of seafood poisoning include nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, muscle aches, and in the most serious cases, death.

With globalization making it possible for contaminated marine life to be sold in markets worldwide, no one who consumes seafood is free from this dangerous threat. There are eight main types of fish and shellfish poisoning.

The most well-known involving fish are:
CIGUATERA
SCOMBROID
TETRODOTOXIN
and MERCURY

The most common varieties of shellfish poisoning include:
PARALYTIC,
DIARRHEAL
AMNESIC 
and NEUROTOXIC   
CIGUATERA
POISONING

We start with ciguatera which is caused by ciguatoxins, a poison produced by algae called dinoflagellates, which are found across the world. During summer months, the dinoflagellates proliferate in coastal waters creating what are known as algal blooms.  Their population size may become so great that the waters appear red in color because of the pigment in the algae, a phenomenon known as 『red tides.”

For more details on the experts featured on today’s program, please visit the following websites
Dr. Lyndon Llewellyn AIMS.gov.au
Professor Richard Lewis www.IMB.UQ.edu.au
Dr. Hwang Deng-Fwu www.Toxin.NTOU.edu.tw
Dr. Yang Chen-Chang www.VGHTPE.gov.tw