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08/02/2005: Just When Ya thought The waters was Safe...
....Comes this Fish poisoning Story [from last week, I KNOW, but I've been BiZeE!!! :-) ] from the Daily Herald:"Fish poisoning sickens 5 people:
Grouper with buildup of naturally occurring toxin was consumed at Kane County restaurant
…
Ciguatera poisoning is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 30 cases of ciguatera poisoning get reported each year, CDC statistics show, though health care providers are not required to report the illness, so the actual number of cases could be higher.
The illness can lead to severe headaches, nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms causing tingling, numbness or temperature reversal in the mouth, where cold feels hot and hot feels cold.
This type of fish poisoning has no cure except for treatment of specific symptoms.
….
“There is no culpability of the restaurant with this type of issue,” Gross said.
Ciguatera poisoning occurs mostly from the consumption of barracuda, grouper, snapper, jacks, mackerel and triggerfish, the CDC said, particularly with fish caught on reefs in the Caribbean, and near Florida and Hawaii.
Overall, cases of toxic seafood poisonings are more common in the summer because the algae grows better in warmer months.
Health officials said the poisoning is rarely fatal and symptoms usually clear up in one to four weeks.
Yikes. Tho' I enjoy seafood -- Grouper, Snapper and these other fish will be off my list till this HOT Summer weather is Over and Gone. No need to push it with Toxic fish algae gowing in these extreme conditions. I'll wait for cooler conditions. :-)
Update: There are also additional articles about dead fish, birds and marine mammals increasing along the Pacific Coastal waters: Effects of global warming?"Marine biologists are seeing mysterious and disturbing things along the Pacific Coast this year: higher water temperatures, plummeting catches of fish, lots of dead birds on the beaches, and perhaps most worrisome, very little plankton — the tiny organisms that are a vital link in the ocean food chain.
Is this just one freak year? Or is this global warming?
....
Scientists say things could very well swing back to normal next year. But if the phenomenon proves to be long-lasting, the consequences could be serious for birds, fish and other wildlife.
This much is known: From California to British Columbia, unusual weather patterns have disrupted the marine ecosystem.
Karen on 08.02.05 @ 07:12 AM CST
