BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Bureau of Standards is still probing the source of fish poisoning in the Federation as Nevis has now confirmed cases of the ailment on the island.
In her update at the NEOC media briefing last evening (Nov. 4), Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws confirmed that the body took samples and officials are currently investigating to ascertain which specific fish is causing the poisoning.
“The Bureau of Standards have samples and the samples are being investigated,” Dr Laws exclaimed.
She added that those investigations are still ongoing. However, officials at the Fisheries Department have shut down the Basseterre Fisheries Complex owing to the discovery that the cases on St. Kitts were linked to purchases made there.
In a statement, the Department of Marines Resources said: “The Department is taking the necessary steps to ensure food safety and, in so doing, is examining its current stock of fish at the Basseterre Fisheries Complex that was being offered for sale.”
All fish have been removed from the Complex and a deep sanitisation exercise has been undertaken at the location.
“All protocols are being reviewed with an effort to identifying and mitigating any public health threats,” the statement read.
In Charlestown, Dr. Judy Nisbett, Medical Officer of Health on the island, confirmed that last week there were at least five cases of fish poisoning on Nevis.
Those were reported cases that presented themselves at the Alexandra Hospital.
“What we are doing now is to determine what’s the cause, if there is a link to any particular source and, once we have done that investigation, then we will be able to say for sure if there is a particular site that fishermen, for example, should not fish,” she announced at Monday’s COVID-19 briefing on Nevis.
No death from fish poisoning has been reported on either of the islands.
