Food poisoning in Rennes: ten people hospitalized are now out of danger

Ten people were hospitalized in Rennes after eating tuna tataki at a restaurant in Bruz, Ille-et-Vilaine. Seven of the victims left the hospital on Monday and three on Tuesday morning, May 28, according to BFMTV, confirming a report from Ouest-France .

Faced with an isolated case, emergency personnel suspected a food allergy. But the onset of symptoms in several people almost simultaneously alerted caregivers, who made the connection to their restaurant consumption.

Doctors are reporting cases of scrombotoxin. This is a food poisoning caused by eating improperly preserved fish, particularly species rich in histidine, such as tuna. Tuna tataki is "one of the main causes of food poisoning linked to fish consumption," the Brittany Regional Health Agency states, according to Ouest France.

When these fish are improperly refrigerated, bacteria convert histidine (a natural amino acid) into histamine, a molecule involved in allergic reactions. This accumulation of histamine in the fish flesh can cause a pseudo-allergic reaction in the consumer.

Symptoms occur within minutes of ingestion and may include hot flashes, facial redness, headache, diarrhea, or vomiting.