SCOMBROID POISONING, TUNA - CANADA: (BRITISH COLUMBIA), SANDWICH CHAIN, ALERT
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Date: Fri 23 Sep 2011
Source: Vancouver (BC) Sun [edited]
<http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Tainted+tuna+sends+seven+hospital/5451124/story.html>
A total of 7 people were sent to hospital on Friday afternoon, 23 Sep 2011, after getting food poisoning from a Subway restaurant at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The Subway customers, all but 1 being YVR employees, reported feeling ill shortly before 3 pm.
Justin Karasick, a spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which is now investigating the matter, said it likely stemmed from tuna fish that was improperly stored. "What we believe they're sick from is a type of food poisoning called scombroid poisoning," he said. "What this is, is a type of food poisoning due to high levels of histamine in raw or undercooked fish. It's usually because the fish hasn't been stored at the right temperature."
The remaining tuna fish was immediately discarded. Symptoms, which appear soon after eating, include flushing, sweating, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
The 7 people were taken to Richmond Hospital. 6 were released shortly after; however one remained in hospital, vomiting and on an IV but not in serious condition, as of 7 pm, Karasick said.
The Subway location in question is in the international terminal, past security, Karasick said.
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[Scombroid fish poisoning occurs after eating fish with high levels of accumulated histamine or other biogenic amines. Histamine is produced and can accumulate when bacterial enzymes metabolize naturally occurring histidine in fish. This most often occurs when fish is held at ambient or high temperatures (such as 70 to 90 deg F / 21.1 to 32.2 deg C) for several hours, but can occur at more moderate temperatures (over 45 deg F or over 7.2 deg C). Rapid chilling of fish immediately after catch is the most effective measure to prevent scombroid fish poisoning. Fish from the family _Scombridae_ (such as tuna and
mackerel) contain high levels of free histidine in muscle tissue and are the commonest sources of scombroid fish poisoning, but other fish (such as mahi mahi, amberjack, bluefish, abalone, and sardines) also have been implicated.
The symptoms of scombroid are identical to those of an allergic reaction since the mediator of both are the same, histamine; but in scombroid's case, the histamine is externally produced and not secreted by the affected person's mast cells. The symptoms generally begin 15-60 minutes after ingestion and usually resolves within several hours.
In a chain restaurant such as Subway, the typical fare of a tuna sandwich begins with commercially acquired, cooked, canned tuna. If this is the case, it would be of concern that other cans would contain the histamine and more cases will occur. The histamine should not have been produced in the can since the bacteria that decarboxylate histidine should not have survived the canning process but histamine would as it is heat resistant. Most cases of scombroid involve fresh tuna. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
2009
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Scombroid poisoning, tuna - USA: (New England) 20090706.2427 Scombroid poisoning, tuna - Viet Nam 20090623.2292 Scombroid poisoning, tuna - UK: (Scotland) 20090417.1461
2008
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Scombroid poisoning, tuna - UK: (Scotland) 20081208.3852
2007
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Scombroid poisoning, tuna, 2006 - USA (LA, TN) ex Asia 20070820.2714
2005
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Scombroid poisoning, frozen fish - Israel: recall 20050610.1619
2002
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Scombroid poisoning, tuna - USA (PA): suspected 20020827.5166] .................................................ll/ejp/ml
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