Which pairing correctly matches organism to the poisoning associated?

• A. Gambierdiscus toxicus — Ciguatera fish poisoning
• B. Karenia brevis — Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
• C. Pryodinium bahamense — Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning
• D. Microcystis aeruginosa — Hepatitis A

Answer: (A)

Contaminant matching relies on knowing which microalgae or dinoflagellate produces a specific toxin and how that toxin moves into seafood. Gambierdiscus toxicus is linked to ciguatera fish poisoning because it makes ciguatoxins that accumulate in large reef fish. When people eat those fish, they can develop a mix of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, sometimes with a characteristic alteration in temperature sensation.

The other pairings mix up the toxin or the disease. Karenia brevis makes brevetoxins that cause Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning, not Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning is caused by saxitoxins from organisms like Alexandrium and Pyrodinium, including Pyrodinium bahamense. Microcystis aeruginosa produces microcystins, which are hepatotoxins affecting the liver, but Hepatitis A is a viral infection, not a toxin-mediated disease.