Re: PRO> ProMED Digest V2004 #155

From: Pamela Tom (pdtom@ucdavis.edu)
Date: Sun Apr 18 2004 - 21:34:24 PDT

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    Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 19:09:12 -0800
    From: Brian Himelbloom <ffbhh@uaf.edu>
    Reply-To: ffbhh@uaf.edu
    Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks - FITC
    To: Liz Brown <bfeab@uaf.edu>
    CC: seafood <seafood@ucdavis.edu>, "Michael Jones, AMSEA" <schools@amsea.org>,
       "Lohmer, Jeri" <Jeri_Lohmer@dec.state.ak.us>

    Hi Liz,

    It's not a unique situation but a marine safety and seafood quality issue!
    It has happened at various times with other fish species, particularly in
    tropical fisheries or when refrigeration in the fishhold failed or ice is
    not present resulting in elevated temperatures. The catch becomes rotten
    giving off toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide and other gases to
    incapacitate the crew entering an unventilated hold.

    Regards,

    Brian Himelbloom
    Associate Professor of Seafood Microbiology
    University of Alaska Fairbanks
    Fishery Industrial Technology Center
    Kodiak, AK 99615

    Liz Brown wrote:

    > I'm not sure if this is a seafood safety or marine safety issue but it
    > certainly sounds unique.
    >
    >> ...The noxious fumes of fermented squid intestines on a ship that ran
    >> into a breakwater in Japan on Sunday may have caused the deaths of 3
    >> of the 4 South Koreans aboard, the Japan Coast Guard said Tuesday.
    >> The 115-ton South Korean squid transport ship Dong Woo probably ran
    >> into the breakwater at a port in Oda, Shimane Prefecture, when the
    >> crew became unable to operate it after suffering an oxygen deficiency
    >> due to the fermented squid intestines the vessel was carrying, coast
    >> guard officials said.
    >> ProMED-mail
    >> <promed@promedmail.org>
    >> [This article does not give any details other than oxygen
    >> deprivation. However, fermentation of certain organic material may
    >> mean decay. Although I am not familiar with the uses of fermented
    >> squid intestines, I would suggest that it was a case of decay in the
    >> hold of ship without circulation of oxygen, and hence, release of
    >> hydrogen sulfide gas. - Mod.TG]



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