KAILUA-KONA — Health officials are cautioning the public that they have identified several cases of ciguatera fish poisoning from ingestion of ulua caught off Hawaii Island.
The ulua, also known as giant trevally, were reportedly caught recreationally off the island’s northwest coast, or North and/or South Kohala, according to the Department of Health.
Janice Okubo, DOH spokeswoman, said there were four cases involving adult residents. Two sought medical attention, with one visiting the emergency room and the other visiting their primary care physician. None was hospitalized.
Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning usually begin within a few minutes to six hours after ingesting an infected fish, according to the department. They may last for a week or so in mild cases, but may continue for several months or longer in some people. Ciguatera is rarely fatal.
Those symptoms include numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation around mouth, hands, or feet; joint or muscle pains with weakness or cramps; vomiting, diarrhea, chills, itching, headache, sweating, and dizziness; reversal of temperature sensation in the mouth, unusual taste sensations; and/or nightmares or hallucinations.
Ciguatera is caused by the poison ciguatoxin, which is found in marine algae, seaweed or coral. After consuming the algae or seaweed, fish become infected, and larger predator fish become carriers by eating the smaller fish.
Cooking, drying, salting or freezing does not kill the poison.
Since 2016, ciguatera has been found in uku (green jobfish), kole (surgeonfish), Hawaiian sea bass, Hawaiian black triggerfish, ulua (giant trevally), eel, barracuda and amberjack, the department said.
Another example of “global warming.” Like the outbreaks of “red tide” off the West Coast Mainland that make Dungeness Crabs inedible, the growth of the marine algae and seaweed that cause ciguatera is enhanced by warmer oceans. Yet according to the current Federal administration, it ain’t happening…
If I were to speculate as you seem to be, I would say in the north/south Kohala where the fish were caught, tells me it was close to the golf courses and farms with their fertilize run off, algae grow quite well in that environment.
Ciguatera been with us long before global warning scare was even though of.
Since you bring up red tide and global warming together, did you know, the first recorded case occurred in British Columbia,Canada in (1793) not much tropical water there.
Wikipededia, was my source.
I beg to differ about 1793. Did you also investigate the water temperatures? El Nino has taken tropical water up to Alaska as recently as last decade. Salmon trollers had their gear stripped from albacore hitting them.
I believe that if you were to look at water temperature in addition to ciguatera algae being a naturally occurring plankton, you would find a link between water temperature and blooms of toxic plankton. Yes, ocean enrichment also plays a role in the biosphere of the ocean but more than enrichment, temperature plays a greater role. Do you find polar bears naturally occurring in Hawaii?
Major ENSO events were recorded in the years 1790–93, that proves the point tropical waters were off B.C. I agree warm temperature does have a negative effect on toxic plankton, so does man made pollution, clearing of the rain forests, El Nino and many other factors.
I lived in the north west when the tuna were close enough to go out and fish for them in a day trip. We don’t have polar bears here, but we do have seals. If the water rises in years to come do what I plan to do, move farther mauka, problem solved.
Obviously this is proof of global cooling. Al Gore told us that cooling was a sign of warming. Therefore warming must be a sign of cooling.