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Foodborne Diseases pp 375–381Cite as

Scombroid Fish Poisoning

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Part of the book series: Infectious Disease ((ID))

Abstract

Scombroid fish poisoning, otherwise known as histamine fish poisoning (HFP), is the most common seafood poisoning in the United States related to the improper storage of fish (1). Because of misdiagnosis and other factors, HFP is undoubtedly underreported (2). Enteric bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus morganii, Morganella morganii, and Proteus vulgaris) act on the flesh of the poorly maintained fish to produce elevated histamine levels (as well as other bioactive amines) through the breakdown of the amino acid histadine (3,4). These organisms are part of the normal flora of certain fish and not thought to be the contaminants (5). Histamine production is correlated to the histadine content of fish, bacterial histadine decarboxylase, and environmental factors (6). Histadine levels vary from 1 g/kg in herring to as much as 15 g/kg in tuna (7). Unspoiled, fresh fish do contain small amounts of histamine (<0.1 mg/100 g [8]), but do not cause HFP.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH

    Elijah W. Stommel MD, PhD

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  1. Elijah W. Stommel MD, PhD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. United States Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD

    Shabbir Simjee PhD

  2. Elanco Animal Health, Eli Lilly and Company, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

    Shabbir Simjee PhD

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© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Stommel, E.W. (2007). Scombroid Fish Poisoning. In: Simjee, S. (eds) Foodborne Diseases. Infectious Disease. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-501-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-501-5_14

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-518-7

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