Neurologic illness associated with eating Florida pufferfish, 2002.

Since January 1, 2002, human illness after eating pufferfish caught in waters near Titusville, Florida, has been reported (Figure 1). The illnesses were manifested by neurologic symptoms consistent with exposure to paralytic shellfish toxins. Laboratory analysis in early April confirmed the presence of saxitoxin in uneaten pufferfish. This report presents selected case examples and summarizes all cases reported to the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (TESS).