Food poisoning due to the consumption of red whelks (Neptunea antiqua).
Two incidents of toxin-type food poisoning in N.E. Scotland associated with the consumption of red whelks (Neptunea antiqua) are described. Four patients developed symptoms within 1 h of consuming whole whelks. These included visual disturbances--double vision and difficulty in focusing--tingling of the fingers, prostration and in one subject nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and ataxia. In all cases recovery was complete in 24 h. Using a newly developed analytical technique the concentration of the causative toxin, tetramine, in the salivary glands of the whelks consumed was estimated at 0.07%, equivalent to a content of 3.75 mg/100 g of the shellfish.
Reid
T M
TM
Regional Laboratory, City Hospital, Aberdeen.
Gould
I M
IM
Mackie
I M
IM
Ritchie
A H
AH
Hobbs
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D004590:Electrophoresis, Paper; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008974:Mollusca / Q000032:analysis*; D012606:Scotland; D057096:Shellfish Poisoning
D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; C010349:tetramethylenedisulfotetramine