Outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning, Taiwan.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kow-Tong Chen, Bureau of Disease Control Taiwan; Michael D. Malison, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 1987-10
• Publisher: American Public Health Association
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: AJPH 1987
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.77.10.1335
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: American Journal of Public Health
• ISSN: 0090-0036
• Volume: 77
• Issue: 10
• Start Page: 1335
• End Page: 1336
• Keywords: prolonged storage; scombroid fish poisoning; contaminated food; temperature control; scombrotoxins; Taiwan
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Fish implicated in outbreaks of scombroid poisoning have usually undergone prolonged storage at an inadequate temperature. We report an outbreak of scombroid poisoning in which fish stored on ice for two days caused illness after standing at room temperature for only three to four hours; fish from the same catch did not cause illness after standing at room temperature only one hour. This outbreak suggests scombrotoxins may be produced more rapidly than previously thought possible.