2004 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 216-220
Halophilic histamine-producing bacteria (halophilic HPB) were isolated from 7 fresh fish and 5 processed fish, and enteric HPB from 8 fresh fish and 13 processed fish, out of 59 fish samples (20 fresh fish and 39 processed fish). Photobacterium phosphoreum was isolated from 6 of 10 fresh tuna samples, while Photobacterium damselae was isolated from only 1 of 10 other fresh fish samples. There was little difference in the isolate rate of the enteric HPB between the fresh and processed fish samples; however, the processed samples had the larger bacterial counts of enteric HPB than the fresh samples, on average. We suggest that histamine fish poisoning from fresh fish is mainly caused by P. phosphoreum, and that from processed fish is mainly caused by enteric HPB.
