BALSA 85

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4 ship crew hospitalized in Saint John remain in hospital

New Brunswick’s Health Department says 10 of 14 crew members of a ship in the port of Saint John who were suffering from food poisoning have been released from hospital. Department spokesman Bruce MacFarlane says the other four crew members remain in hospital since they were admitted Saturday. On Sunday, Dr. Cristin Muecke, a New Brunswick medical officer of health, said the crew were in serious but stable condition at Saint John Regional Hospital after eating toxic fish on the ship Saturday. Muecke said they were being monitored closely because the particular type of food poisoning can have neurological and heart-related symptoms. She said the tainted fish was caught in international waters and there is no risk to the public. The ship involved is the Panama-registered Balsa 85 and the 19-member crew is from the Philippines. http://globalnews.ca/news/1936102/update-4-ship-crew-hospitalized-in-saint-john-remain-in-hospital/

Food poisoning sickens ship's crew in Saint John

Fourteen crew members from a Panamanian ship are in Saint John hospital suffering from food poisoning. The ship was docked at the PotashCorp terminal Saturday when a number of individuals became ill. The ship was loaded and prepared to leave Saint John, but has been delayed. Three crew members are in the intensive care unit at the Saint John Regional Hospital, and eleven others are listed in serious but stable condition. The food poisoning is believed to be ciguatera fish poisoning, which is caused by eating tropical fish that consumed toxin-producing algae. New Brunswick medical officer of health Dr. Cristin Muecke says there is no risk to Canadians. The five crew members who did not consume the fish are not ill. “The risk is limited to those on the ship only, as this is related to fish that was obtained on international waters before they arrived in port,” Dr. Muecke said. The food poisoning can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, neurological symptoms such as numbness and weakness, and cardiac symptoms such as heart rhythm problems. Ciguatera fish poisoning is rarely fatal, but the severity of the illness depends on how much tainted fish was consumed. More and photo on http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/food-poisoning-sickens-ship-s-crew-in-saint-john-1.2323358

14 crewmembers of cargovessel Balsa 85 poisoned and hospitalized, three in critical condition

Fourteen crewmembers of the general cargo vessel Balsa 85, docked in Saint John port, New Brunswick, Canada, were poisoned by food and hospitalized on Apr12, three in critical condition, eleven in serious but stable condition. The food poisoning is believed to be ciguatera fish poisoning, which is caused by eating tropical fish that consumed toxin-producing algae. Crew is 19, so only 5 crew members, those who didn’t eat fish, remain on board. Crew most probably are all Filipino. Source: http://www.news.odin.tc/index.php?page=view/article/2054/14-crew-of-a-freighter-docked-in-Saint-John-poisoned-and-hospitalized-three-in-critical-condition