Vital Signs: Fishy Food

A tropical vacation goes south when a tourist catches something horrible from the catch of the day. But what exactly is it?

By Claire Panosian Dunavan
Apr 28, 2009 5:00 AMMar 12, 2020 4:39 PM
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Ronnie Martin, the hardworking creator of a popular TV sitcom, loved her tropical getaways. By all rights, her seventh visit to Bora-Bora should have been a breeze. Lucky seven, right? Then came her unlucky visit to the Rainbow Reef bar. Along with her afternoon Bloody Mary, she sampled a raw fish ceviche. Her husband Tom did not. It was a snack she would always remember with regret.

A few hours later, Ronnie lay moaning on the floor of her beachfront suite, desperately ill. The pain in her lower abdomen felt like a thousand stabbing knives. She had also vomited several times. Tingling, trembling, and unable to stand, she had just one thought: Need help—fast!

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