Dangerous Bacteria Found In Frozen Fish From Vietnam

A customer
became acutely ill after eating a filet of fish, bought at a Rema 1000 store in
Haugesund. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority found dangerous bacteria and
toxins from bacteria in frozen fish from the shop.
    When the
customer became acutely ill for the second time after eating fish filet of the
same type, the Norwegian Safety Authority was alerted. The NSA revealed that
the fish from Vietnam contained toxin from staphylococci bacteria, along with vibrio cholera
which can cause cholera.
    The
customer had bought frozen filets of the Asian fish type, pangasius in a Rema
1000-store in Haugesund. The symptoms suggest that the person was infected with
the staphylococci toxin.
    “The
progression of the illness with a staylokokk infection is very unpleasant. One
is knocked out by intense vomiting and diarrhoea, which in turn leads to
headaches and exhaustion. Concerning vibrio cholera, you need to get a lot of
it in you before you get cholera,” says Marit L. Manhenke, functioning
overseer at the NSA’s regional office in Rogaland and Agder.
    According
to the NSA, the sickness occurs a few hours after infection with the staphylococci
toxin. The duration of the illness varies from between one and eight hours. The
bacteria are not deadly.
    The
pangasius filets have been sold in Rema 1000 shops in the whole country, as
well as Coop Obs stores at Sotra, Jessheim and Lillestrøm. Polar Seafood in
Moss, who imports the filets from Vietnam, has initiated the
withdrawal and halt in sales of the fish filets from the consignment in
question.
    The
consignment is produced 28.11.2007 and 29.11.2007. Customers who have products
from the consignment in question can have the cost refunded on returning the
product to the shop in its frozen condition.
    The
withdrawn consignment may have been sold in Norwegian shops since January/February
this year, but only one person so far is know to have become sick from the fish
toxin.
    “There
can be some gloomy figures here. The sickness is short-lived and not everyone
would immediately link diarrhoea and vomiting with food poisoning,” says
overseer, Marit L. Manhenke of NSA.

 

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