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Health department issues warning on toxin commonly found in tropical waters

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The Health Department yesterday warned against eating large coral reef fish after 20 people reportedly fell ill with food poisoning.

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The department said all those affected had eaten leopard coral grouper, hump head wrasse and moray eel - which are suspected of carrying ciguatoxin, a poison found in coral reef fish - in the last four days.

The department said people should avoid eating large coral reef fish, especially those weighing more than 1.8kg.

If they must eat the fish, they should do so in small quantities and infrequently. The toxin is usually concentrated in the fish's head and skin, the department said.

'The toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking,' a department spokesman said.

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He said that large fish were more toxic than smaller ones as the toxins built up over time.

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