Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (Ciguatoxin) | Symptoms (Numb Feet, Diarrhea), Diagnosis, Treatment

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (Ciguatoxin) | Symptoms (Numb Feet, Diarrhea), Diagnosis, Treatment

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (also known as Ciguatoxin Poisoning) is an food-borne illness caused by the ingestion of marine neurotoxins known as ciguatoxins, which can be found in the tissues of fish, especially those from tropical and subtropical locations. These ciguatoxins are produced by a dinoflagellate known as gambierdiscus toxicus, which produces a variety of marine toxins. Ciguatoxins are colorless, odorless and tasteless and are therefore undetectable by people who are eating the contaminated fish. Once inside the body, these ciguatoxins act on voltage-gated sodium channels in the central nervous system, leading to a host of neurological findings, including paresthesias. Although it is necessary to have laboratory investigation to confirm the diagnosis, most cases are diagnosed clinically by history and physical examination. There is no cure for ciguatoxin poisoning, and the treatment consists of managing symptoms and other complications.

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