Whether barracuda is prepared by grilling, boiling or frying, the popular sport fish is proving to be dangerous to more people in Florida than initially thought.
The warning comes on the heels of a study that came out in the June 29 issue of te American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Recently, researchers of the University of Florida analyzed medical reports on fish poisoning and compared them with surveys of more than 5,000 fishermen.
Analysis by the researchers, done in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health, found that people have been falling sick every year from ciguatera poisoning, characterized by nausea, vomiting and sometimes, neurological symptoms.
Researchers found that 291 cases of this form of poisoning were reported between 2000 and 2011. As for unreported cases, researchers got in touch through email with people who fish for recreation because these groups usually end up eating their catch.
Of the 5,352 email respondents, exactly 245 reported the symptoms, which researchers classified to be likely ciguatera poisoning, while 74 were classified as possible cases.
Researchers also discovered that ciguatera poisoning cases were highest among Hispanics when compared with other groups.
"That's a new finding in this study," said Elizabeth Radke, an epidmiologist and the study's lead author, adding that Hispanics preferred eating barracuda as this was part of their culture.
According to Radke, ciguatera comes from a glowing algae and and may spread to the northern areas when the seas are warming up. The poison finds its way to the food chain when coral reef fish that eat marine plants get eaten by larger fish.
Barracuda appears to have the highest concentration of ciguatera, but snapper, hogfish, grouper and mackerel can also carry the poison. Cooking or freezing the fish does not affect the toxin in any way, said The New York Times.
Radke and the team recommend that people refrain from eating barracuda and become aware of the risks involved. Currently, no specific and effective treatment exists for ciguatera poisoning, but Radke said mannitol, a kind of sugar that has various medical applications, could help.
