Dozens of Toddlers Develop Allergy-Like Symptoms After Eating Tuna

An unusual incident occurred Tuesday in Beitar Illit, where approximately ten toddlers, around one year old, developed symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating canned tuna. Emergency services responded to the daycare center, provided initial medical treatment, and evacuated some of the children to the hospital in mild condition. While an allergic reaction to the food is a possibility, a known medical phenomenon called Scombroid poisoning, or histamine poisoning, could explain the symptoms.

Scombroid poisoning occurs when fish with high levels of histamine are consumed. Histamine is a substance naturally released by the body during allergic reactions, but in this case, it is ingested through food. Certain fish, including tuna, naturally contain high levels of the amino acid histidine. If these fish are not stored at proper temperatures before processing, bacteria can convert histidine into histamine. Consuming fish with elevated histamine levels can cause symptoms such as facial redness, rash, itching, a feeling of warmth, and sometimes abdominal pain, diarrhea, rapid pulse, or headaches. These symptoms typically appear within 10 to 60 minutes of consumption and can closely resemble a typical allergic reaction.

The article explains that even canned tuna can be a source of histamine poisoning. While the canning process is designed to eliminate microbial dangers, histamine is heat-resistant. If histamine is produced in the fish before canning due to improper storage or handling, the subsequent heating process will not destroy it. Therefore, even properly processed canned tuna can contain histamine that was formed earlier. This does not mean all canned tuna is dangerous, but it highlights that the canning process cannot rectify damage that has already occurred. The appearance and smell of the fish do not reliably indicate the presence of high histamine levels.

The key difference between true fish allergy and histamine poisoning lies in the mechanism. A true allergy involves the immune system mistakenly identifying fish proteins as harmful. Histamine poisoning, however, is not due to an individual's immune sensitivity but rather the presence of a pre-formed toxin in the food. This is why multiple individuals consuming the same food can develop similar symptoms, even if they have no prior fish allergies. The simultaneous onset of symptoms in several toddlers after a shared meal raises suspicion of a common food exposure, making histamine poisoning a plausible explanation, though not definitively proven.

While histamine poisoning is usually a transient condition, with symptoms typically resolving within hours to 48 hours, it can occasionally be severe. Rare cases may involve breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, or heart rhythm disturbances, necessitating prompt medical attention. Treatment may include antihistamines, but severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis require immediate emergency care, including epinephrine. Laboratory tests on the fish can confirm histamine levels, differentiating it from a true allergy, which is diagnosed through different means. The article advises against a blanket fear of canned tuna, emphasizing that the condition depends on proper handling throughout the supply chain. The exact cause of the incident in Beitar Illit remains undetermined pending further investigation.