Eight people have fallen sick in the Canary Islands after eating contaminated fish.
The La Palma Health Department and the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) reported that one person is currently hospitalized at the University Hospital of La Palma.
The General Directorate of Public Health has started an epidemiological study and is continuing monitoring work in case more people become affected.
The first cases of food poisoning were detected on July 22, two hours after consuming the contaminated product.
Samples were taken and analytical studies revealed the probable cause of the poisoning was histamine contamination after eating fish sold outside normal distribution channels.
The La Palma Health Department urged individuals and companies that distribute fish to pay attention to temperature controls and maintain the cold chain. The public was advised not to purchase or consume fish of unknown origin or that is not within established channels and subject to official health controls.
The Canary Islands are part of Spain. In 2023, Spain reported 35 histamine outbreaks with 275 patients. One large incident had 154 patients.
The most common symptoms of histamine poisoning, also known as scombroid fish poisoning, are a tingling or burning sensation in the mouth, facial swelling, rash, hives and itchy skin, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. They usually resolve within several hours without medical intervention. The onset of symptoms can range from minutes to several hours following ingestion of the toxin. Typically, the average incubation period before illness is one hour.
Production of histamine is related to mishandling of food because of storage at incorrect temperatures. Once produced, histamine cannot be eliminated by normal cooking or freezing temperatures.
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