Thus it is found that patients who are under drugs that suppress DAO activity (DAO-blocking drugs) are more at risk for histamine intolerance. [Laura Maintz] Therefore patients presenting with symptoms of histamine poisoning must be checked for the use of DAO inhibitors. One recent research that studied the scrombroid outbreak in California in 2003 found very high levels of histamine (2000 to 3800 ppm) and a very rare agent for scrombroid poisoning, the escalor fish. This research also indicated that people who were under medication exhibited more varied and prolonged symptoms compared to those who were not under any kind of medication. [K.A. Feldman et.al, 2005]
Nutritional researchers indicate that various factors such as histidine levels, bacterial Histidine decarboxylase and environmental factors correlate in the formation of histamine. For example, histadine levels in herring fish is estimated at 1 g/kg...
[Elijah W. Stommel] One study found that histamine poisoning could also result from inhalation and skin contact. Macan et.al (2000) found that occupational histamine poisoning resulted when workers handled bags of fish flour. Ten workers who were handling the shipment of fish flour developed symptoms such as respiratory distress, palpitation, eye and skin irritation, etc., within 30 minutes. Later thin-layer chromatography revealed very high levels of histamine 510 mg/100 g flour in the tested samples. [Macan et.al, 2000]
Conclusion
Scrombroid poisoning is a leading case of seafood poisoning and is easily preventable. Since histamine is heat stable, it is important to realize that heating would not make contaminated fish fit for consumption. Strict adherence to HACCP standards (storage under
