Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is the most common, non-bacterial illness associated with consumption of seafood (certain fish and gastropods) contaminated with neurotoxins (ciguatoxins and/or maitotoxins) produced by the marine microalgae in the genus Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. CP causes acute gastrointestinal, neurologic, and cardiac symptoms and long-term sequelae, particularly due to chronic exposure to the toxins. Thus, CP has substantial human health, social, and economic impacts in the affected areas. CP is endemic in pantropical regions, were approximately 50,000 cases documented annually, although the real impact is not known given to underreporting (90%).Since the beginning of the 21st century, CP cases have been detected in more temperate zones with no previous history of this disease. Some cases seem to be due to an increased international trade of tropical sea-products. In addition, climate and anthropogenically-driven environmental changes may be favouring a potential expansion of CP. In particular, ocean warming, projected on 0.4–1.4°C by mid twenty-first century, is expected to affect the biology, cell proliferation and biogeographic range distribution of the microalgae involved in CP. However, there are still many unknown aspects that require in-depth and multidisciplinary research, specially related to the vectors of toxin transfer. This presentation will summarize the most recent knowledge about the potential risk of CP in the near future. References [1] Chinain, M, Gatti, CMi, Darius, HT, Quod, J-P, Teter PA 2021. ‘Ciguatera poisonings: A global review of occurrences and trends’. Harmful Algae, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2020.101873 [2] Friedman, MA, Fernandez, M, Backer, L, Dickey, R, Bernstein, J, Schrank, K, Kibler, S, Stephan, W, Gribble, MO, Bienfang, P, Bowen, R, Degrasse, S, Flores-Quintana, H, Loeffler, C, Weisman, R, Blythe, D, Berdalet, E, Ayyar, D, Clarkson-Townsend, D, Swajian, K, Benner, R, Brewer, T, Fleming, LE 2017.’An Updated Review of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: Clinical , Epidemiological, Environmental, and Public Health Management.’ Mar. Drugs, 15: 72 [3] Liefer, JD, Richlen, ML, Smith, TB, DeBose, JL, Xu, Anderson, DM, Robertson, A 2021. ‚Asynchrony of Gambierdiscus spp. Abundance and Toxicity in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Implications for Monitoring and Management of Ciguatera‘. Toxins 13: 413. [4] Tester, PA, Litaker, W, Berdalet, E 2020. ‚Climate Change and Benthic Harmful Algae‘, Harmful Algae 91: 101655 [5] Wells, ML, Karlson, B, Wulff, A, Kudela, RM, Trick, C, Asnaghi, V, Berdalet, E, Cochlan, W, Davidson, K, De Rijcke, M, Dutkiewicz, S, Hallegraeff, G, Flynn, KJ, Legrand, C, Paerl, H, Silke, J, Suikkanen, S, Thompson, P, Trainer, V, 2020.‚Future HAB Science: Directions and Challenges in a Changing Climate‘. Harmful Algae 91:101632

56th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology (EUROTOX 2021), 27 September - 1 October 2021.-- 1 page

Peer reviewed