Ciguatera fish poisoning outbreak in Lanzarote Island in the Canary Islands

Ten people have been affected by ciguatera fish poisoning in Lanzarote. Apparently the source of the toxin was the fishery San Bartolomé.

The fish that are most likely to cause ciguatera poisoning and should be avoided are large (greater than 6 pounds), carnivorous reef fish, such as amberjack, barracuda, grouper, moray eel, sea bass, or sturgeon. Other fish that pose a risk include parrot fish, surgeon fish, and red snapper. The toxins that cause ciguatera fish poisoning are not destroyed when the fish is cooked, smoked, frozen, or through any other method of food preparation. The toxins are also concentrated in certain parts of the fish, namely the liver, intestinal tract, roe, and head. These parts of the fish should be avoided if you must eat high-risk fish.