The National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Control responded to the test results of suspected food poisoning samples from the victim's vomit sample and the stored food sample (braised mackerel).
According to the results, the Histamine content in the vomit sample of a patient named TTNY was 6.22 mg/kg; the Histamine content in the stored food sample was 3806 mg/kg. Thereby, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene determined that the cause of the food poisoning was suspected to be Histamine in the braised mackerel sample in the lunch of Sunrise Apparel Vietnam Company Limited on August 28.
According to the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health), Histamine is a biological amine, with the chemical formula C5H9N3. It has the ability to absorb water, withstand high temperatures without being destroyed and is involved in the local immune system as well as maintaining the physiological function of the intestine and acting as a neurotransmitter.
In nature, Histamine is formed as a result of the conversion of Histidine to Histamine by Histidine decarboxylase. Food poisoning due to eating processed fish containing high Histamine occurs in many countries and was first discovered in tuna, mackerel, and tuna... The cause of food poisoning is the conversion of Histidine to Histamine in cooked food.
Food poisoning is caused by eating food that contains a high amount of histamine that is beyond the body's tolerance. People with allergies only need to eat a small amount of food containing histamine to cause an allergic reaction.
Histamine toxins in marine fish
According to information from the Food Safety Department, Histamine has heat-resistant properties and is not destroyed even when cooked. Therefore, if sea fish contains high levels of Histamine, it will not be lost during the cooking process. The toxicity of Histamine depends on the total amount of Histamine consumed. If the amount consumed is 8-40 mg of Histamine, sensitive people will have tears and saliva; if the amount consumed is 1,500 - 4,000 mg, the eater will have symptoms such as headache, stomachache, diarrhea, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, rash...
The human body can tolerate a certain amount of Histamine without causing any reaction because Histamine is broken down by enzymes. Only when the Histamine content in food is too high or the Histamine-breaking enzyme in the body is inhibited, Histamine can cause toxicity.
Histamine poisoning is caused by eating fish with red flesh such as tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring... The disease usually occurs quickly from one to several hours after eating. Clinical symptoms often appear:
- Face is often red, eyes are red. Difficulty breathing due to edema and bronchospasm.
- Red rash, itching, possible skin rash.
- Burning sensation in the mouth, increased salivation, stimulation of gastric juice secretion, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Rapid pulse, low blood pressure due to vasodilation.
- Histamine can directly affect the nervous system, causing symptoms of nausea, dizziness, headache...
Monitor and detect early patients who show signs of allergy after eating sea fish from one to several hours. Provide timely advice to patients to avoid causing psychological anxiety and panic. Quickly go to a medical facility for emergency and timely treatment.
- In mild cases: Skin allergies, digestive disorders, antihistamines (Chlorpheniramine or Claritin, Telfat...) should be used.
- In severe cases: rapid pulse, low blood pressure, exudation, difficulty breathing, need to be quickly resuscitated, emergency fluid and electrolyte replacement and use of antihistamines and corticosteroids. If severe, the patient should be transferred to the anti-poison department for examination and treatment.
