Ciguatoxin-like substances in edible fish on the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Background. The consumption of edible fish (e.g., Siganus spp) was assumed to have caused ciguatera poisoning at an atypical site, the eastern Mediterranean. This pilot study assesses the presence of ciguatoxin-like substances in edible fish on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Israel. Methods. Samples of Siganus rivulatus from polluted seawater (Haifa Bay), Siganus rivulatus from relatively clean seawater (Dor), and fish from the freshwater Sea of Galilee not inhabited by toxic algae were analyzed during summertime. Ciguatoxin-like substances were tested by a membrane immunobead assay that yields a color reaction (positive, weakly positive, negative). Results. Significantly more large and small fish from Haifa Bay yielded positive color reactions compared to fish from Dor. Sea of Galilee fish gave no positive color reactions. Conclusions. Our results suggest the presence of ciguatoxin-like substances in edible fish of the eastern Mediterranean. Additional analyses are needed to determine whether these substances are ciguatoxins or related polyethers.

Keywords:

• Ciguatoxin
• Ciguatera
• Poisoning
• Siganus rivulatus
• Rabbitfish
• Mediterranean

Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs. Efrat Yaskil from the Department of Statistics, University of Haifa as well as Dr. Bianca Raikhlin-Eisenkraft from the Israel Poison Information Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel for their assistance in the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Notes

* The study was presented at the 2004 North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology, Seattle, Washington, September 2004.