According to Alaska Dispatch News, state officials are investigating a botulism outbreak in Western Alaska. Two people have been sickened and one person died after eating a meal of fermented fish heads. The patients lived in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Samples of food are being tested, and samples from people who have been sick are being examined for the botulinum toxin. If the death is confirmed as from botulism poisoning, it will be the first death in that state from botulism since 2007. The person who died complained of seeing double and feeling sick after eating the fish.
Botulism toxin is produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The bacteria grows in anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions, such as in canned low-acid foods. A tiny amount of the toxin is enough to kill a person. Symptoms of botulism poisoning include double and blurred vision, drooping eyelids, and dry or sore throat. The illness quickly progresses to symmetrical descending paralysis and trouble breathing. Quick medical attention can save a person’s life, so if you are experiencing these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
A 2011 report titled “Botulism in the North” states that the traditional food of fermented fish heads, called “fermented stink heads” is a botulism risk. The fish used to be aged in grass or straw, but is now aged in plastic or glass containers that increase the risk of contamination. The report states that the fish are not actually “fermented”, but are aged by putrefaction or advanced decomposition of proteins and fat.
