Barbel cholera, a rare but still possible food-borne poisoning. Case report and narrative review.

Barbel cholera, a rare but still possible food-borne poisoning. Case report and narrative review.

Authors

  • Ivan Comelli Emergency Department. Academic Hospital of Parma, Italy
  • Matteo Riccò Working Environment Prevention and Safety Service. Local Health Agency, Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy
  • Gianfranco Cervellin University Hospital of Parma, Italy

Keywords:

barbel cholera; barbus fish; barbel eggs; food borne poisoning; gastroenteritis; Emergency Department

Abstract

The gastro enteric toxic effects of the barbel eggs have been described up to two centuries ago, but deliberate or serendipitous ingestion of this fish product still occur, often eliciting a gastrointestinal syndrome usually known as barbel cholera. Barbel cholera is a self-limited gastrointestinal diarrheic syndrome that develops 2 to 4 hours after ingestion of the eggs, lasting up to 12-36 hours, nearly always complicated by vomiting and severe abdominal pain. The disease is usually self-limited, and the prognosis is thus benign even without hospitalization and medical treatment. Rarely, however, barbel cholera may be complicated by massive diarrhea, and the patients can develop bradycardia, oligo-anuria, and eventually hypovolemic shock. In this article we describe a rare case of barbel cholera, highlighting both the diagnostic difficulties in identifying it, and the importance of obtain an accurate history, focused on recently ingested food, thus addressing the clinical management on supportive treatment, expecting symptoms’ improvement usually within 36 hours.

Author Biographies

Ivan Comelli, Emergency Department. Academic Hospital of Parma, Italy

Emergency Department

Matteo Riccò, Working Environment Prevention and Safety Service. Local Health Agency, Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy

Working Environment Prevention and Safety Service. Local Health Agency, Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy

Gianfranco Cervellin, University Hospital of Parma, Italy

Emergency Department

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Published

15-01-2019

Issue

Section

Emergency Medicine Up Date

How to Cite

1.
Barbel cholera, a rare but still possible food-borne poisoning. Case report and narrative review. Acta Biomed [Internet]. 2019 Jan. 15 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];89(4):590-2. Available from: https://www.mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/actabiomedica/article/view/7606