Actions to combat ciguatera in RN The Government of Rio Grande do Norte created a monitoring committee to monitor cases of ciguatera poisoning and define actions to combat the disease. According to the State Secretariat for Public Health (Sesap), cases grew 60.2% in the first half of this year compared to the entire year 2025. There were 141 occurrences in the first six months of 2026, compared to 88 registered throughout last year. ? Click here to follow the g1 RN channel on WhatsApp According to Sesap, the species most frequently linked to cases of ciguatera in the state are arabaiana, bicuda (or barracuda), red snapper, dorado, rooster, black snapper, white hake, sea bass, sirigado and whiting. MORE and entities linked to the fishing sector. According to the state undersecretary of Fisheries, Erilânia Marreiro, the meeting aimed to define joint measures between the bodies involved to tackle the problem. Red snapper fish market fish shop supermarket fish sales Natal Rio Grande do Norte RN Ciguatera Brunno Rocha/Inter TV Cabugi "We have sought to advance the dialogue to guarantee solutions and mitigate this problem related to ciguatera, which is a public health problem." According to the manager, the main step forward was the creation of a committee to monitor the evolution of cases and coordinate actions between the different bodies. "This meeting was called to understand what steps we can take. As a result, we decided to create a ciguatera monitoring committee to ensure coordinated actions between agencies." Cases grew this year Data from the State Department of Health indicate that, since 2022, Rio Grande do Norte has recorded 259 confirmed cases of ciguatera poisoning and two deaths, distributed across 46 outbreaks. Also according to Sesap, 64% of outbreaks occurred after consumption of fish at home, while 36% were associated with meals in restaurants and other commercial establishments. Symptoms The first signs of ciguatera are gastrointestinal, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which can appear from a few minutes to 48 hours after consuming the fish. However, neurological symptoms are the most prevalent and long-lasting, and can persist for years. Patients report intense itching, body pain, a sensation of a metallic taste in the mouth, numbness in the tongue and extremities, as well as thermal inversion — a sensory change in which a hot touch appears cold and vice versa. Fatigue, weakness, dizziness and headache are also common. More serious cases may present cardiovascular evolution, with episodes of low blood pressure (hypotension) and slow heartbeats (bradycardia). Recommendations to the population Sesap's main recommendations to the population are: immediately seek health services if compatible symptoms occur, reporting fish consumption in the last 48 hours; identify the species consumed and preserve leftover fish, packaged and frozen, for later collection by the Health Surveillance; avoid the consumption of fish associated with reports of Ciguatera poisoning, especially those of unknown origin.