The illness contracted by a local family that ate freshly caught fish earlier this month suggests ciguatera poisoning, although the tests are still under way.

“If confirmed, this is a rare occurrence in Bermuda,” a spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.

“The fish-eating public should not be alarmed, as few confirmed cases have been seen in Bermuda.”

Richalene Knights and three family members reported skin-burning sensations and muscle aches after eating fish sold locally on November 19.

Impossible to spot in advance and impervious to the cooking process, ciguatera is known to tropical waters around the world, but has never been of concern in Bermuda.

According to the spokeswoman, technical officers of the department believed that some of the offending fish were Yellow Jack (Caranx bartholomaei), a species not commonly caught around Bermuda.

Ms Knights said she was still feeling hot and cold sensations, plus “feeling like you walked the End-to-End three times”, but the pain was subsiding.

In an example of how the condition affects different people in different ways, other family members were yesterday developing the symptoms she had developed at the start, including “metallic taste in mouth and hands stinging”.