Schulz Michał, Łoś Aleksandra, Szabelak Aleksandra, Strachecka Aneta
Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2019 Mar 1;70(1):14-17. doi: 10.2478/aiht-2019-70-3209.
Palythoa spp. corals and some other marine organisms contain one of the most poisonous substances ever known - palytoxin (PTX). Due to their modest life requirements and ease of breeding, these corals are popular in home aquariums. Here we refer to a case of PTX poisoning of a middle-aged woman who inhaled poisonous vapours while brushing the corals from live rock and compare it with the available literature. As the case revealed that the symptoms of PTX poisoning are not specific and neither is treatment, our aim was to give a brief tabulated review of the symptoms that may indicate such poisoning. Cases of palytoxin poisoning have been reported worldwide, and severe ones (mostly due to ingestion of contaminated sea food) can end in death. As it appears, most (if not all) poisonings result from unawareness of the risk and reckless handling by aquarists. This is one of the first articles which provides some practical advice about the use of personal protection equipment, including gloves, masks, eyewear, and other clothing during any coral manipulation to minimise the risk. We also draw attention to the lack of marketing/trading regulations for dangerous coral species and/or regulations or instructions dealing with their removal and health protection.
繁花珊瑚属的珊瑚及其他一些海洋生物含有一种已知的最毒物质——岩沙海葵毒素（PTX）。由于这些珊瑚对生存条件要求不高且易于繁殖，它们在家庭水族箱中很受欢迎。在此，我们讲述一名中年女性在清理活石上的珊瑚时吸入有毒蒸汽而导致PTX中毒的病例，并与现有文献进行比较。由于该病例显示PTX中毒的症状不具特异性，治疗方法也无特异性，我们的目的是简要列表回顾可能提示此类中毒的症状。岩沙海葵毒素中毒的病例在全球均有报道，严重的中毒情况（大多因食用受污染的海产品所致）可导致死亡。看起来，大多数（即便不是全部）中毒事件都是由于水族爱好者对风险认识不足且操作鲁莽造成的。本文是首批就使用个人防护装备提供一些实用建议的文章之一，这些建议包括在处理任何珊瑚时佩戴手套、口罩、护目镜及其他衣物，以尽量降低风险。我们还提请注意，对于危险珊瑚物种缺乏市场/贸易监管，以及缺乏关于移除珊瑚和健康保护的相关规定或说明。
