This was on today tonight last night:
http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=20513
Toxic fish
REPORTER: Michelle Tapper
BROADCAST DATE: May 5, 2005
Ciguatera is the most dangerous and toxic type of food poisoning. Found in reef fish, it is tasteless, colourless, odourless and impossible to detect until it is too late.
The McClane family is still suffering from ciguatera poisoning, four years after eating Spanish mackerel caught on a charter fishing trip in Hervey Bay off Queensland's central coast.
The McClanes were told the effects of ciguatera could continue for 15 years from the date they were poisoned. They still have 11 years to go.
Miecha McClane, 19, said she thought she was dying.
"I'd never experienced that much pain before, I had pain rushing up my head and neck," Miecha said.
Her father Bruce was forced to retire early from his position as the CEO of Victoria's Supreme Court. His wife Glenda also quit her job due to extreme fatigue.
"Some days I feel 10 years older than I am because of what happened," Glenda said.
Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning
Dr John Pearn is an expert on ciguatera poisoning.
"The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, intense itching of the skin and a peculiar and very bizarre phenomenon where hot things feel cold and cold things feel hot," Dr Pearn said.
He said more than 60,000 people around the world were affected by it each year.
"Ciguatera is very common, we have mini-outbreaks in Australia every two or three weeks and over the last two decades we've had hundreds of outbreaks," Dr Pearn said.
With no test to diagnose sufferers and no treatment, some people's symptoms can last for years, turning into chronic fatigue syndrome. Pat and Neil Bacon have been suffering severe heart and liver problems for more than 10 years after getting ciguatera poisoning from eating take-away fish and chips.
What is ciguatera and how is it spread?
The toxin is found in an algae eaten by small reef fish. It is passed up the food chain by larger fish which are then caught by fishermen.
Professor Richard Lewis of the University of Queensland's molecular bioscience department said the spreading of ciguatera poison was difficult to contain because it was almost impossible to detect.
"As little as one parts per billion of toxin is enough in a fish to make people sick," Professor Lewis said.
"One of the challenges is to try and detect it because it's incredibly small levels to detect."
The toxin was also said to be immune to heat and freezing, making it near-impossible to destroy.
Hot spots
Ciguatera contamination largely occurs in reef fish throughout Asia and along the eastern coast of Australia. Hot spots include the Great Barrier Reef, Hervey Bay and Fraser Island, where catching certain types of fish has been banned.
Which species of fish are most toxic?
• Narrow barred Spanish mackerel
• Coral trout
• Coral cod
• Barracuda
• Red emperor
• Yellow kingfish.
They are all species which could be bought at any fish market, restaurant or fish and chip shop anywhere in Australia.
Pat and Neill Bacon have begun campaigning for warning signs to be posted.
"There is not one printed sign in any fish and chip shop or anywhere like that that gives a person the choice to buy fish clean of ciguatera or those which could possibly be contaminated," Mr Bacon said.
The McClane family has attempted to sue the charter company that caught the fish.
"It should never have happened," Mr McClane said. "No-one should have to suffer what we've suffered and will continue to suffer."
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