Contribution to the risk assessment of ciguatera poisoning in europe (the balearic and Canary Islands and Madeira archipelago)

Identifier:  TDX:3233

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3233

Authors:  Tudó Casanova, Àngels

Abstract:
Currently, ciguatera poisoning (CP) is now considered to be an emerging disease in temperate areas of Europe. The present thesis is a contribution to the risk assessment of ciguatera poisoning in the Balearic Islands (West Mediterranean Sea), the Canary Islands and the Madeira Archipelago (Macaronesia, East Atlantic). The current study characterizes the biodiversity and the geographical distribution of the Gam-bierdiscus and Fukuyoa genera in the most important islands of the Balearic and Canary Islands. In addi-tion, the potential CTX production of Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa species is evaluated. The risk of CP is also evaluated by the detection of the ciguatoxins in fish from the Balearic Islands and Madeira Archipe-lago. Even though CP is not present in the Balearic Islands, as will be demonstrated here, ciguatera is at the stage that populations of microalgae are producing CTX-like toxins and have been doing so for some years. In the Macaronesia, recent findings about Gambierdiscus species and ciguatoxins in seafood have shown that it is still little knowledge about CP phenomenon and their causative agents.