Scombroid
Trimethylaminuria is a disorder in which the volatile, fish-smelling compound, trimethylamine (TMA) accumulates and is excreted in the urine, but is also found in the sweat and breath of these patients.
The most common symptoms are rash, flushing, headache, and diarrhea. Less common symptoms include abdominal cramps, blurred vision, cold-like sensation, dizziness, nausea, sweating, and tachycardia. Severe reactions cause angioedema, tongue swelling, respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, and death.
Scombroid fish poisoning resembles an allergic reaction and occurs within minutes to hours of eating fish contaminated with histamine. The most common symptoms are rash, diarrhea, reddening or flushing of the face and sometimes the neck, arms, and upper part of the body, sweating, headache, and vomiting.
Treatment depends on the severity of scombroid poisoning. Mild cases often disappear quickly without medication. Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), may help some people with the condition. Severe cases require a trip to the emergency room.
Elemental (Metallic) Mercury
Metallic mercury mainly causes health effects when inhaled as a vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. Symptoms of prolonged and/or acute exposures include: Tremors; Emotional changes (such as mood swings, irritability, nervousness, excessive shyness);
Symptoms usually last a few days but, in some cases, can linger for months. There is no cure for ciguatera, however there are treatments for some of the symptoms. After recovering you may want to avoid fish, nuts, alcohol, and caffeine for at least 6 months to prevent symptoms from returning.
Scombroid fish poisoning, or histamine fish poisoning, is a syndrome resembling an allergic reaction that occurs after eating fish contaminated with high levels of histamine.
The most common cause of acute histamine toxicity is the result of inadequate refrigeration or spoiled fish. This causes an overgrowth of bacteria which converts histidine to high levels of histamine. Individuals who have unusually low levels of the enzyme diamine oxidase may be more susceptible to histamine toxicity.
Scombroid poisoning is not an allergy
The decarboxylation process is induced by enzymes produced by primarily enteric gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Morganella morganii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) found in the fish's cutis and intestines.
High histamine symptoms
In histamine intolerant individuals, high levels of histamine are capable of producing such histamine intolerance symptoms that may seem similar to an allergic reaction. Think hives, rashes, itching and congestion.
Does Salmonella have a smell? No, Salmonella bacteria doesn't have a smell.
Common causes of a fishy odour include poor hygiene, gingivitis, bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections. Advanced kidney or liver disease may also cause this condition. In the patient described here, a less common cause was found.
Examples include mahi-mahi (dolphin fish), amberjack, herring, sardine, anchovy, and bluefish. Symptoms of histamine fish poisoning resemble an acute allergic reaction and usually appear 10–60 minutes after eating contaminated fish.
Histamine is a signaling molecule, sending messages between cells. It tells stomach cells to make stomach acid. And it helps our brain stay awake.
If you have a food allergy, histamines are in on that response process, too. When you accidentally eat or drink something you shouldn't, they'll work in your gut to trigger your allergic reaction. Some foods are also naturally high in histamines. These include aged and fermented foods and alcohol (especially red wine).
Paralytic shellfish poisoning ( PSP ) is a serious illness caused by eating shellfish contaminated with algae that contains Paralytic Shellfish Toxin ( PST ), a toxin harmful to humans. This toxin is extremely poisonous; as little as one milligram (0.000035 ounce) is enough to kill an adult.
Fish-handler's disease occurs when cuts or scrapes in the skin become infected with the bacteria. Handling shellfish, tropical fish, cleaning aquariums, swimming pools, fishing, lobster catching, and many other similar activ- ities can introduce these bacteria into cuts and scrapes.
What is scombrotoxin? Scombrotoxin, also called scombroid poisoning or histamine poisoning, happens after eating fish that contain high levels of histamine due to improper food handling.
Species of puffer fish (the family Tetraodontidae) are the most poisonous in the world, and the second most poisonous vertebrate after the golden dart frog.
Eating food or drink contaminated with high levels of cadmium can cause stomach irritation, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Headaches and flu-like symptoms, swelling of the throat and tingling hands may also occur.
Mercury vapor is not irritating and has no odor, so people do not know when they are breathing it. Even the small amount of mercury from a broken thermometer can cause harm, especially to children, unless it is properly cleaned up and removed.
The symptoms of dimethylmercury poisoning start, as Wetterhahn's did, with loss of coordination and slurred speech. Loss of vision and hearing follows, and then an irreversible coma. Many chemists were stunned by the idea that only a few drops of the substance, spilled from a pipette, could have killed their colleague.