Scrombroid Poisoning

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the causes, symptoms, treatment, and preventive measures to avoid scrombroid poisoning. The paper also looks at the current research on histamine poisoning and shows how it is easily preventable.

Outline:
Introduction
Current Understanding
Research on Histamine Poisoning
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Scrombroid poisoning also known as histamine poisoning, is the most common form of seafood toxicities. As per the CDC statistics, histamine poisoning accounts for 37% of all seafood related poisoning and 5% of all food related toxicities. [Daniel Noltkamper ] Scrombroid poisoning occurs due to the metabolic conversion of histidine, a natural amino acid found in the fish flesh into the toxic histamine by the activity of bacteria. This occurs most rapidly when the fish are exposed to ambient temperatures of 21.1oC-32.2oC for a few hours, or even at temperatures greater than 7.2oC. Since majority of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported from abroad, the FDA had implemented quality control standards in 1995 known as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) to check the quality of all imported seafoods. However, as the 2003 statistics showed, barely 5 to 7% of all imported seafoods from more than 8500 importers were checked for the HACCP standards. [CDC] The fact that not all foreign and local fishing boats are covered under the HACCP implies that the risk of outbreak of scromboid poisoning is quite real and a concerning problem."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Laura Maintz and Natalija Novak (May 2007), "Histamine and Histamine Intolerance', American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1185-1196 http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/5/1185#R55
• Daniel Noltkamper, MD, FACEP, (Feb 2008), "Toxicity, Marine- Histamine in Fish', retrieved march 15th 2008, from http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1012.htm
• Marta Ferran MD, Mireia Yebenes MD (2006), 'Flushing associated with scombroid fish poisoning', Dermatology Online Journal 12 (6): 15 http://dermatology.cdlib.org/126/case_presentations/scrombroid/ferran.html
• CDC, 'Scrombroid Poisoning associated with Tuna Steaks- Louisiana and Tennessee', JAMA, September 19, 2007--Vol 298, No. 11, Available online at, http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/298/11/1269.pdf
• Gerry Predy, Lance Honish, William Hohn & Stephen Jones (Mar 2003), 'Was it something she ate? Case report and discussion of scrombroid poisoning' CMAJ 168 (5), Available online at, http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/168/5/587.pdf

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