Posted on 02/27/2009 3:53:02 PM PST by nickcarraway
The fish was delicious, no doubt about it.
Perfectly seasoned and cooked just right, the broiled grouper on the Texas menu last summer tempted Donna Schroeder to eat every bite.
The only problem? It was poisoned, tainted with a hard-to-detect toxin that produces symptoms so bizarre, they put peanut-linked salmonella infections to shame.
“It’s horrible, I’m telling you,” said Schroeder, 65, a retired Beaumont, Texas, realtor, who is only now recovering from the worst symptoms of ciguatera fish poisoning, an exotic foodborne illness that health officials say may be dramatically under-recognized in the United States.
The malady afflicts at least 50,000 people a year worldwide — and the real number may be 100 times that many. While ciguatera fish poisoning is largely unknown in most of the U.S., several recent cases have attracted growing concern, officials say. They hope a greater awareness will help alert consumers and doctors and improve treatment of the incurable illness caused by coral algae toxins that accumulate in large tropical reef fish.
Within hours of the July dinner, Schroeder was stricken not only with typical nasty food poisoning symptoms — diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue — but also with a dangerously slow heart rate and neurological problems that caused her hands and feet to tingle painfully and, oddest of all, reversed her sense of hot and cold. Some patients also say they feel like their teeth are falling out — and the symptoms can linger for years.
“Whatever I touched, if it was hot, it would feel cold. If it was cold, it felt hot,” Schroeder recalled. “I couldn’t walk on the tile floor. It felt like it was burning me.”
Donna Schroeder, 65, of Beaumont, Texas, had to diagnose ciguatera fish poisoning herself after doctors failed to recognize the illness.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I came down with it while living in the Caribbean and having eaten grouper at dinner. I too had to self diagnose by looking things up on the internet as I have never experienced symptoms so bizarre. It felt like I had cold water in my veins and took at least 2 months for me to feel normal again.
Sounds like an episode of House.
Cue Monty Python’s “Fish Slapping Dance” ...
Any fish colored that way is sending out a warning that consuming it might not be the best idea.
Besides, it’s like eating a goldfish with purple spots. Blech!
Nothin but good ole reliable mercury in the fish I eat.
Nobody ever had these bad symptoms from eating dolphin.
Manitee meatloaf never did nobody no harm.
20 years ago we met a man who had been hospitalized for 6 months with ciguatera. Since then my husband has only eaten fish that we catch (not a total guarantee against it, as we do eat grouper...but we know the water temp and where we’re catching them.)
*PING* worthy?
I have no reason what so ever for pinging you. The photo is not offensive at all ...
That must have been awful - glad you're OK now - thanks for sharing.
Oh boy. Do I scroll up & look or not....oh boy oh boy oh boy....such decisions so late at night...
I looked. You're right...
The nurse that comes into provide respite care for KV on his days off from the hosp is going down there and I told him about this news story.
Dont eat the Grouper or Bass caught off the Coral reef!
He said it sounded like the toxin we get here with the Red Tide when they close the clam digging/eating.
Hate to see him get or the wife get sick on a well deserved vacation.
I personally dont eat ANY fish from foreign countries or farmed fish.
Local PNW or Canuck/Alaska waters only for this kid.
What is left anyway we only get bounties of PNW Tuna and that is a bit oily/fishy for my tastebuds.
Another gal who helps out is semi retired here with hubby living on a boat and they ocean sport fish.
OMG the freshest best ling cod and halibut I have ever been gifted with.
Shame to live here and walk by the fish dept with Thai imports or very very old skanky looking fillets in the window.
PNW Canned Seal is the best!
Hmmm.
A bit of that cold water running through the veins could be a medical break through for treating hot flashes, ya think?
Sounds like you would need lots of environmentally dangerous double ply tissues to help get by this one. Can’t imagine Bizarre Fish Poisoning without it. Take that you environazis!
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