Severity of ciguatera fish poisoning is often quite variable. Two symp
tom check list rating scales were developed for quantifying illness se
verity and for selectively monitoring response to therapy in patients
with chronic toxicity. Content validity was ascertained, and internal
consistency reliability was demonstrated by means of the Cronbach alph
a correlation coefficient (alpha = 0.9475). It was concluded that thes
e instruments were valid and reliable, and that they conveniently and
accurately recorded illness severity and treatment efficacy. They shou
ld prove useful in clinical settings and epidemiologic investigations.