Hunt for the elusive toxins causing ciguatera poisoning in Macaronesia - Insights and perspectives

Ciguatera poisoning is a foodborne illness caused by consuming fish contaminated with ciguatoxins produced by the dinoflagellates Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. In Macaronesia, an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, ciguatera poisoning is a significant public health concern, and identifying the sources of these toxins is crucial for mitigating the risk to human health. However, the identification of ciguatoxins and their sources is a challenging and complex process, and new methods and approaches are needed to improve detection and monitoring. This seminar describes ongoing research efforts to identify and characterize the toxins responsible for ciguatera poisoning in Macaronesia, with insights and perspectives on new analytical and bioassay techniques, as well as the ecological and environmental factors that influence the production and accumulation of Ciguatera toxins in marine ecosystems. The hunt for these elusive toxins is an ongoing area of research that has the potential to improve our understanding of ciguatera poisoning and inform public health interventions to protect human health.