%0 Journal Article
%T Investigation of Contributing Factors to Scombroid Fish Poisoning among Dar es Salaam City Residents in Tanzania
%A Ngwengwe Bulula
%A Veronica Mugoyela
%A Eliangiringa Kaale
%J Open Access Library Journal
%V 4
%N 11
%P 1-16
%@ 2333-9721
%D 2017
%I Open Access Library
%R 10.4236/oalib.1103992
%X <div style="text-align:justify;">
	<span style="line-height:1.5;">Scombroid fish poisoning is
a mild to moderate form of food poisoning caused by eating spoiled or bacterial
contaminated fish after capture or during subsequent handling and storage. Its
symptoms are similar to those of f</span><span style="line-height:1.5;">ish allergy though it gives negative results to allergy tests. Because of
that, most clinicians misdiagnose scombroid or histamine fish poisoning, and
erroneously advise their patients never to eat the same fish again. A
prospective descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the
contributing factors of scombroid fish poisoning among fish consumers and
health care personnel residents in Dar es Salaam. Results showed 49.6% of fish
consumers and 60% of health care workers were aware of scombroid fish
poisoning. Among those with awareness, 2.2% of fish consumers had average
knowledge and the remainder had low knowledge, while 6.3% of health care
workers had good knowledge, and
42.9% and 50.8% had average
to low knowledge, respectively. Mackerel was frequently listed among the
scombroid fish associated with scombroid fish poisoning followed by tuna and
king fish. Rashes (59%), diarrhoea (21.6%) and skin itching (19.4%) were the
frequently mentioned symptoms by respondents. Aggressive health promotion
interventions should be designed and implemented to increase awareness of
histamine fish poisoning to general public including the health care personnel.</span>
</div>
%K Scombroid Fish Poisoning
%K Awareness
%K Knowledge
%K Respondents
%U http://www.oalib.com/paper/5290557