Mero mero, in the store... How I wonder....

[Ken]

Ken, isn't there a specific time of year when you shouldn't snapper, sea bass, and others?

I am not aware of any period when you are safe from ciguatera if the fish you eat carries enough of the toxin.

A friend seems to have a severe case of ciguatera from a fish she ate this past Sunday night.

Not everyone who eats the species implicated in ciguatera get sick, because not every fish carries enough of the toxin. Odds are in your favor. But as a precaution, eat a small fish, one that weighed 5 pounds or less.

 

[Texas Bill]

Mero mero, in the store...How I wonder...

Ken!

Thank you for the very informative posts.

Since 95% of the fish provided in the Dominican markets originate from the Bahamas and associated geographical areas, I would suppose the incidence of cigatera(I can't spell !) is very high on the list of medical conditions in the DR.

Am I correct???

Reason I ask, and appreciate your posts is because I love fish and eat a lot of it here in Manzanillo.

Texas Bill

 

[Ken]

Texas Bill, I don't know with the incidence is in the DR. It is said there are 50,000 reported cases per year in the world, but the figure is suspect, say the experts, because it is likely it is under reported because symptoms often mistaken for other things, and/or doctors aren't familiar with ciguatera.

The Caribbean is one of the areas of the world with the highest incidence of ciguatera. No particular country was named in anything I have seen; the identification of trouble areas is always by region, such as the Caribbean.

The best thing for you to do is to make sure the fish you eat are small, 5 lbs or less. The bigger the fish of the species implicated in Ciguatera the more likely it is to carry enough toxin to make you sick. I'd also suggest you take a look at some of the excellent info on the subject assembled by google http://www.google.com/search?q=ciguatera&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[Pib]

Ken, Ciguatera, AFAIK and IANAD, only occurs during the warm months when these tropical fish are laying their eggs. That is to protect them from their predators during fertile months. It doesn't occur year-round. All this based, of course, on what I heard for years.

I may be wroing, I will try to corroborate this assertion with some cites... will be back.

 

[Pib]

Upon calling my mom, who knows everything there is to know, she told me that no, it has nothing to do with what part of the year, but that ciguatera is the reason why she always refuses to buy but very small fish (no more than 1 to 1 1/2 lbs). Without having read any scientific literature on the subject I suppose that the big-fish-ban at home is the result of common wisdom.

Carry on.

 

[Hillbilly]

I agree with PIB's Momma

All the fish I eat are small....no ciguatera...

HB

 

[Ken]

Pib, you are fortunate to have such a knowledgeable mother to keep you out of trouble.