Barrientos Rocío González, Hernández-Mora Gabriela, Alegre Fernando, Field Theresa, Flewelling Leanne, McGrath Sara, Deeds Jonathan, Chacón Yajaira Salazar, Rojas Arrieta Karla, Vargas Emilia Calvo, Artavia Karen Berrocal, Stacy Brian A
Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
Área de Bacteriología, Laboratorio Nacional de Servicios Veterinarios, Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Front Vet Sci. 2019 Dec 17;6:466. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00466. eCollection 2019.
Fish within the family Tetraodontidae are potential sources of both endogenous tetrodotoxins (TTXs) and dietary derived saxitoxins (STXs). Ingestion of fish tissues containing these toxins by other vertebrates can lead to severe illness and death. The Caribbean sharpnose puffer () is a widespread tetraodontid species within the western Atlantic. Mass settlement of juveniles into foraging habitats have been associated with large-scale puffer fish mortality events. In 2013, 2014, and 2017, puffer mortality events on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica were also associated with strandings of green turtles () found to have fed on . Stranded sea turtles were found dead without apparent cause or alive with severe neurological signs that resolved during short periods of captivity. Puffer fish and turtle organ samples were analyzed for both TTXs and STXs. Concentrations of TTXs were extremely low in the fish (0.5-0.7 μg/g) and undetectable in turtle stomach contents. However, concentrations of STXs in whole fish (16.6-47.5 μg STX-eq/g) exceeded the 0.8 μg STX-eq/g human seafood safety threshold for STXs by orders of magnitude. Saxitoxins were also detected in samples of stomach contents (ingested fish), brain, lung, kidney, and serum from three affected turtles. Study results indicate that saxitoxicosis resulting from opportunistic foraging on during fish mortality events may be a significant factor in episodic stranding of green sea turtles in this region.
四齿鲀科鱼类是内源性河豚毒素（TTXs）和饮食来源的石房蛤毒素（STXs）的潜在来源。其他脊椎动物摄入含有这些毒素的鱼组织会导致严重疾病甚至死亡。加勒比尖鼻鲀（）是西大西洋广泛分布的四齿鲀科物种。幼鱼大规模进入觅食栖息地与大规模河豚死亡事件有关。2013年、2014年和2017年，哥斯达黎加加勒比海沿岸的河豚死亡事件也与以 为食的绿海龟（）搁浅有关。搁浅的海龟被发现死亡，无明显原因，或存活但有严重神经症状，在短暂圈养期间症状缓解。对河豚和海龟的器官样本进行了TTXs和STXs分析。鱼体内TTXs浓度极低（0.5 - 0.7微克/克），海龟胃内容物中未检测到。然而，整条鱼中STXs的浓度（16.6 - 47.5微克STX - eq/克）比人类食用海产品STXs安全阈值0.8微克STX - eq/克高出几个数量级。在三只受影响海龟的胃内容物（摄入的鱼）、脑、肺、肾和血清样本中也检测到了石房蛤毒素。研究结果表明，在鱼类死亡事件期间因机会性觅食 导致的石房蛤毒素中毒可能是该地区绿海龟偶发性搁浅的一个重要因素。
