Seafood poisoning
| Cause of seafood poisoning | Location | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciguatera fish poisoning | Consumption of large fish, such as moray eel, groupers, snappers and reef grazers (including Xanthic crabs) Principal toxins are ciguatoxins | All tropical/subtropical regions, especially Caribbean, Indo-Pacific | Nausea and vomiting within 3–24 hours of consumption of shellfish Abdominal pain, numbness and tingling of mouth and digits. Unstable heart rate and blood pressure |
| Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) | Alexandrium, Gymnodinum, Gonyaulax Principal toxin are saxitoxins | All areas, temperate and tropical | Tingling and numbness of mouth and digits, headache. Neuromuscular weakness after 3–24 hours of consumption of shellfish |
| Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) | Gymnodinium Principal toxin are brevetoxins | Gulf of Mexico, Florida | Similar to PSP but milder. Often associated with respiratory difficulties |
| Amnestic shellfish poisoning (ASP) | Pseudonitzschia Principal toxin is domoic acid | Temperate: N America, N Europe, S Antipodes | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea after 3–6 hours. Dizziness in more severe cases Most severe cases associated with confusion, short-term memory loss and seizures |
| Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) | Dinophysis and Prorocentrum Principal toxin is okadaic acid | All areas, temperate and tropical | Diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains develop after 30 minutes to 24 hours of consumption of shellfish |
| Tetrodotoxin fish poisoning | Consumption of puffer fish liver, ovaries Principal toxins are tetrodotoxins | Indo-Pacific, especially S E Asia | Nausea, vomiting, numbness, tingling and neuromuscular weakness |
| Palytoxic fish poisoning | Palythoa Principal toxins are palytoxins | Indo-Pacific and Caribbean | Indistinguishable from ciguatera fish poisoning |