scholarly journals Epidemiology and Toxicology of Ciguatera Poisoning in the Colombian Caribbean

Author(s):  
Roberto Navarro Quiroz ◽  
Juan Carlos Herrera-Usuga ◽  
Laura Maria Osorio-Ospina ◽  
Katia Margarita Garcia-Pertuz ◽  
Elkin Navarro Quiroz

The ciguatera is a food poisoning caused by the consumption of primarily coral fish; these species exist in large numbers in the seas that bathe the Colombian territory. The underreported diagnosis of this clinical entity has been widely highlighted due to multiple factors, as are among others, ignorance by the primary care practitioner consulted for this condition, clinical similarity with secondary gastroenteric symptoms, to common food poisonings of bacterial, parasitic or viral etiology. Eventually people affected by ciguatotoxin are related to trips to coastal areas hours before the onset of symptoms. Thanks to multiple studies over the years it has been possible to identify the relation of the dinoflagellates in the assembly of said toxin and its introduction into the food chain, starting by fish primarily inhabiting reef ecosystems and culminating in the intake of these by humans. Identifying the epidemiological link, its cardinal symptoms and affected systems such as gastrointestinal, peripheral nervous system and fortunately with a low frequency, the cardiovascular system, leads to a purely clinical diagnostic impression without further complementary studies, performing an adequate treatment primarily symptomatic without underestimating or overlooking any associated complications.

Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 504
Author(s):  
Roberto Navarro Quiroz ◽  
Juan Carlos Herrera-Usuga ◽  
Laura Maria Osorio-Ospina ◽  
Katia Margarita Garcia-Pertuz ◽  
Elkin Navarro Quiroz

Ciguatera is a food intoxication caused by the consumption of primarily coral fish; these species exist in large numbers in the seas that surround the Colombian territory. The underreported diagnosis of this clinical entity has been widely highlighted due to multiple factors, such as, among others, ignorance by the primary care practitioner consulted for this condition as well as clinical similarity to secondary gastroenteric symptoms and common food poisonings of bacterial, parasitic or viral etiology. Eventually, it was found that people affected by ciguatoxins had trips to coastal areas hours before the onset of symptoms. Thanks to multiple studies over the years, it has been possible to identify the relation between toxigenic dinoflagellates and seagrasses, as well as its incorporation into the food chain, starting by fish primarily inhabiting reef ecosystems and culminating in the intake of these by humans. Identifying the epidemiological link, its cardinal symptoms and affected systems, such as gastrointestinal, the peripheral nervous system and, fortunately with a low frequency, the cardiovascular system, leads to a purely clinical diagnostic impression without necessitating further complementary studies; in addition, what would also help fight ciguatera poisoning is performing an adequate treatment of the symptoms right from the start, without underestimating or overlooking any associated complications.


1955 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. H. R. Anderson ◽  
Doris M. Stone

SummaryEight explosive outbreaks of food poisoning, occurring in school canteens in England during 1953 and affecting 1190 known cases, are described. The clinical features were characteristic of the toxin type of illness. No deaths occurred.The food causing all of these outbreaks was prepared from spray-dried skim milk powder. It was not subsequently heat-treated and was usually consumed 3–4 hr. after preparation.The spray-dried milk powder proved to contain a high content of bacteria, including large numbers of Staph. aureus, of a phage pattern often associated with food poisoning. The assumption was therefore made that these outbreaks were caused by staphylococcal enterotoxin.Because the food was often consumed within 3–4 hr. of reconstitution of the milk powder—before, in fact, the staphylococci had had time to grow—it is concluded that the poisoning must have been due mainly to pre-formed toxin.Consideration is given to the opportunities for the formation of toxin in a spray-drying plant, and reasons are brought forward for believing that it is formed mainly in the balance tank where the warm milk is kept, sometimes for several hours, before passing into the final drying chamber.The processing of the milk and the precautions for preventing contamination of the finished product are discussed.


Author(s):  
E. L. Krivosheina ◽  
T. S. Mikhailova

Presented a clinical observation of hemolytic disease of the newborn as a result of fetus immunization with low-frequency erythrocyte antigen (Lutheran). The special aspect of the case is the presence of hyperleukocytosis with evident regenerative shift of neutrophils to the left to singular blastic variants, thrombocytopenia, high reticulocytosis (more than 1000 ‰) and a great number of nucleated red blood cells (normoblasts) in the newborn’s hemogram. In myelogram a sharp expansion of erythroid sprout (90 %) and signs of dizerythropoiesis were determinded. Typical clinical signs and isoserological incompatibility of mother and fetus in erythrocyte antigen provided basis for early diagnostics and adequate treatment of hemolytic disease of the newborn.


Genetics ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-589
Author(s):  
Wyatt W Anderson ◽  
Celeste J Brown

ABSTRACT Recent work has called into question the reality of the rare male mating advantage, pointing out that it could be a statistical artifact of marking flies for behavioral observation or of experimental bias in collecting males. We designed an experiment to test for rare male mating advantage that avoids these sources of bias. Large numbers of males of three Drosophila pseudoobscura karyotypes were allowed to mate with females of one karyotype in population cages. The females were then isolated before multiple mating occurred and their progeny used to diagnose the males that mated them. Populations were studied at five sets of male karyotypic frequencies. The mating success of the male homokaryotypes ST/ST and CH/CH, relative to that of the heterokaryotype ST/CH, was frequency dependent. Both ST/ST and CH/CH males displayed a statistically significant mating advantage at low frequency by comparision with their mating success in the midrange of karyotypic frequencies. Both male homokaryotypes also showed a significantly greater mating success at high homokaryotypic frequency than at intermediate frequencies, which is the same as saying that the heterokaryotype not only failed to show a rare male advantage but actually suffered a mating disadvantage at low frequency. We conclude that rare male mating advantage is not always an experimental or methodological artifact but does occur in laboratory populations of D. pseudoobscura. It may occur for some genotypes and not for others, however, and it may be only one of several forms of frequency-dependent mating behavior operating in a population.


1916 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo F. Rettger ◽  
Thomas G. Hull ◽  
William S. Sturges

The problem of eradicating ovarian infection in the domestic fowl assumes still greater importance than heretofore, in the light of data recently acquired. Not only is it of great significance to eliminate the permanent carriers of Bacterium pullorum from all flocks of fowls from the standpoint of successful poultry breeding, but also because they constitute a possible source of danger to man. Eggs which harbor Bacterium pullorum in the yolk in large numbers may produce abnormal conditions, when fed, not only in young chicks, but in adult fowls, young rabbits, guinea pigs, and kittens. The toxicity for young rabbits is most pronounced, the infection usually resulting in the death of the animals. In kittens the most prominent symptoms are those of severe food-poisoning with members of the paratyphoid group of bacteria. The possibility of infected eggs causing serious disturbances in young children and in the sick and convalescent of all ages must therefore receive serious consideration. Ovarian infection of fowls is very common throughout this country. Hence, a large proportion of the marketed eggs are infected with Bacterium pullorum. When such eggs are allowed to remain in nests under broody hens, or in warm storage places, for comparatively few hours, they contain large numbers of the organism. Soft boiling, coddling, and frying on one side only do not necessarily render the yolks free from viable bacteria; therefore, eggs which have gone through these processes may, like raw eggs, be the cause of serious disturbances in persons who are particularly susceptible to such influences, and especially to infants. That no well authenticated instances of egg-poisoning of this kind are on record does not warrant the assumption that there have been no cases. The etiology of infantile stomach and intestinal disturbances is as yet too little understood; in fact, it may be said that many of these disorders have no known cause, and almost as much may be said regarding gastro-intestinal diseases in later life. Furthermore, since the ailments caused by infected eggs would not make themselves felt presumably until several days after their ingestion, little or no suspicion would fall upon the eggs. It may be said, too, that the wide distribution of ovarian infection in the domestic fowl has come about only in the last few years, hence its possible danger to man is one of recent development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mohammed Yahya Ahmed ◽  
Hashim Abdalbagi Ali ◽  
Babbiker Mohammed Taher Gorish ◽  
Sara Omer Ali ◽  
Eman Saif Aldein Abdalrhim ◽  
...  

Staphylococcal food poisoning is an intoxication that results from the consumption of improperly prepared or stored foods containing sufficient amounts of one or more preformed S. aureus enterotoxins. Nowadays, many researchers worldwide noted an emergence of resistant strains such as Staphylococci particularly for the antibiotic methicillin. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the existence of Staphylococcus aureus and its enterotoxins, mecA genes, in selected food samples. A total of 400 selected food samples were collected from different areas in Khartoum State. The selected foods included cheese, meat products, fish, and raw milk. One hundred samples from each type of food were cultivated, and the resultant growth yielded 137 (34.25%) S. aureus, 126 (31.5%) bacteria other than S. aureus, and 137 (34.25%) yielded no growth. Eighty-four of the 137 S. aureus isolates were randomly selected and tested for the presence of mecA and enterotoxin genes. The oxacillin sensitivity test showed that 15 (11%) of 137 S. aureus isolates were oxacillin resistant. The PCR assay showed that the mecA gene was detected in 15 of 84 (17%) S. aureus isolates. Simultaneously, only 2 (2.385%) out of 84 S. aureus isolates showed an enterotoxin B gene product. There was a relatively moderate prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with very low frequency of enterotoxin B gene in different kinds of selected food samples collected from Khartoum State. These findings elucidate the increased risk on public in Khartoum being affected by Staphylococcal food poisoning upon consumption of dairy or meat products prepared in unhygienic conditions that could lead to intoxication by Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins.


1967 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Altenbern

Exposure of cells of several strains of Staphylococcus aureus to 50 or 100 μg of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine for 30 to 60 minutes induced large numbers of mutants with pigment content different from that of the parent. By determination of the amount of pigment as related to the optical density of the cells, four to seven classes of pigmentation mutants could be defined. Mutants with pigment content differing from that of the parent could readily be mutated to other pigmentation states and are thus probable point mutations. In contrast, completely white mutants could not be induced by the mutagen to any degree of pigmentation and possibly represent minor deletions or cumulative single-site mutations in the chromosome. Growth of parent strains in media containing acridine dyes occasionally produced a low frequency (0.01%) of white mutants. Mutants differing in pigment content from that of the parent were unable to produce coagulase during growth, although the parent cultures elaborated considerable coagulase under identical conditions.


1991 ◽  
Vol 174 (5) ◽  
pp. 1189-1201 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Kenny ◽  
C O'Connell ◽  
D G Sieckmann ◽  
R T Fischer ◽  
D L Longo

Flow cytometric analysis of antigen-specific, idiotype-positive (id+), B cell development in transgenic mice expressing a rearranged M167-mu gene shows that large numbers of phosphocholine (PC)-specific, M167-id+ B cells develop in the spleen and bone marrow of these mice. Random rearrangement of endogenous V kappa genes, in the absence of a subsequent receptor-driven selection, should give rise to equal numbers of T15- and M167-id+ B cells. The observed 100-500-fold amplification of M167-id+ B cells expressing an endogenous encoded V kappa 24]kappa 5 light chain in association with the M167 VH1-id transgene product appears to be an antigen driven, receptor-mediated process, since no amplification of non-PC-binding M167 VH1/V kappa 22, T15-id+ B cells occurs in these mu-only transgenic mice. The selection and amplification of antigen-specific, M167-id+ B cells requires surface expression of the mu transgene product; thus, no enhancement of M167-id+ B cells occurs in the M167 mu delta mem-transgenic mice, which cannot insert the mu transgene product into the B cell membrane. Surprisingly, no selection of PC-specific B cells occurs in M167-kappa-transgenic mice although large numbers of B cells expressing a crossreactive M167-id are present in the spleen and bone marrow of these mice. The failure to develop detectable numbers of M167-id+, PC-specific B cells in M167-kappa-transgenic mice may be due to a very low frequency of M167-VH-region formation during endogenous rearrangement of VH1 to D-JH segments. The somatic generation of the M167 version of a rearranged VH1 gene may occur in less than one of every 10(5) bone marrow B cells, and a 500-fold amplification of this M167-Id+ B cell would not be detectable by flow cytometry even though the anti-PC antibody produced by these B cells is detectable in the serum of M167-kappa-transgenic mice after immunization with PC.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Rozalina Yordanova ◽  
Katya Kichukova

Foodborne illnesses are a widespread problem throughout the world. Food poisoning due to bacterial toxins can be caused by the ingestion of exotoxins which are preformed in the food, or by the ingestion of food containing large numbers of bacterial cells which then release endotoxins in the gastrointestinal tract. Early methods for the assay of bacteria toxins were based on in vivo or in vitro tests. Later, immunological tests were developed based on techniques such as gel diffusion. Different types of methods have been developed for the detection of toxin genes and their toxic products. These methods include the detection of toxin genes by amplification methods and hybridization probing. There are now a number of rapid test kits available which give results within hours and are much simpler to perform and interpret than bioassays.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Yahya ◽  
Hashim Abdalbagi Ali ◽  
Babbiker Mohammed Taher Gorish ◽  
Sara Omer Ali ◽  
Eman Saif Aldein Abdalrhim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Staphylococcal Food Poisoning is an intoxication that results from the consumption of improperly prepared or stored foods containing sufficient amounts of one or more preformed S. aureus enterotoxins. Now days many researchers worldwide noted an emerging of resistant strains Staphylococci especially for the antibiotic Methicillin. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the existence of Staphylococcus aureus and its enterotoxins, mecA genes in food samples. Results A total of 400 samples were collected from different areas in Khartoum state. The type of foods included Cheese, Meat products, Fish and Raw milk, 100 samples for each. out of 400 samples cultivated 137 (34.25%) isolates were identified as S. aureus, 126 (31.5%) were identified as bacteria other than S. aureus and 137 (34.25%) were yield no growth. Of 137 S.aureus isolates, 84 were randomly selected and examined for the presence mecA and enterotoxin genes products. Oxacillin sensitivity test showed that 15(11%) of 137 S.aureus isolates were Oxacillin resistant. The PCR assay showed that mecA gene was detected in 15 of 84 (17%) S. aureus isolates. While only 2 (2.385%) out of 84 S. aureus isolates were show an enterotoxin B gene product. Conclusion There was a relatively moderate prevalence of Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus with very low frequency of enterotoxin B gene in different kinds of food samples which collected from Khartoum state. These findings highlight the high potential risk for consumers of meat and dairy products especially in the absence of strict hygienic and preventive measures to avoid Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins production in foods.


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