- About Ciguatera
Ciguatera fish poisoning (or ciguatera) is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. People who have ciguatera may experience nausea, vomiting, and neurologic symptoms such as tingling fingers or toes. They also may find that cold things feel hot and hot things feel cold. Ciguatera has no cure. Symptoms usually go away in days or weeks but can last for years. People who have ciguatera can be treated for their symptoms. - Basic Facts
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Fish Identification [opens in new window]
Barracuda, black grouper, blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, greater amberjack, hogfish, horse-eye jack, king mackerel, and yellowfin grouper have been known to carry ciguatoxins.
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Fish Identification [opens in new window]
- Publications
- Ciguatera fish poisoning—Florida, 1991. MMWR June 4, 1993;42(21):417-8.
- Ciguatera fish poisoning—Texas, 1997. MMWR August 28, 1998;47(33):692-4.
- Ciguatera Fish Poisoning—Texas, 1998, and South Carolina, 2004. MMWR September 1, 2006;55(34):935-7.
- Epidemiologic notes and reports ciguatera fish poisoning—Bahamas, Miami. MMWR July 23, 1982;31(28):391-2.
- Epidemiologic notes and reports ciguatera fish poisoning—Vermont. MMWR April 25, 1986;35(16):263-4.
- Resources
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CDC National Center for Infectious Diseases’ Marine Toxins Site
Questions and answers about marine toxins; what they are, how they are diagnosed and treated, how to prevent marine toxin poisoning, what the US government is doing to protect citizens ...more -
Florida Department of Health
[external link]
The Florida Aquatic Toxins Program was set up to protect Florida's citizens and visitors from exposure and illness from Harmful Algal Blooms ...more - Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission [external
link]
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute provides a weekly summary report of current red tide conditions around Florida including a map of sampling results and regional status reports ...more - Food and Drug Administration
[external link]
- Ciguatera
Fact Sheet [external link]
The US FDA provides information on the nature, diagnosis, susceptibility, and analytical data on Ciguatera poisoning ...more
- Ciguatera
Fact Sheet [external link]
- U.S. Army Medical Research
Institute of Infectious Diseases [external
link]
USAMRIID presents information on its program ...more
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CDC National Center for Infectious Diseases’ Marine Toxins Site
- For further information about
this study, please send inquiries to:
ciguatera@cdc.gov.
