Harmful Algal Information System: Event ZAF-97-003

General Information

Event name:	ZAF-97-003
Country:	SOUTH AFRICA
Nature of the harmful event:	Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:	Humans
Toxicity detected:	Yes (Approximate range: >80痢/ 100g mussel tissue)
Associated syndrome:	PSP
Unexplained toxicity:	No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector):	White mussels, Donax serra and black mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme:	No
Event occurred before in this location:	Yes (1958)
Individuals to contact:	MANSFIELD, Lisa

Location & Date

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Location:	Latitude: -33.062500, Longitude: 17.934722
General location information:	West Coast, West Coast HAB Area code(s): ZAF-01
Additional location information:	General West Coast area
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):	Event Date:1997-01-01 Start: 1997-01-01, End: 1997-08-31
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):	First detection: 1997-03-01, End: 1997-08-01
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known:	Yes
Causative Species/Genus:	Alexandrium catenella ( cells/L) cells/L not given in this record
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:	Ceratium furca (20000000 cells/L) by April 1997 - dominant species Dinophysis acuminata ( cells/L) cells/L not given in this record
Chlorophyll concentration, if known:	µg/l
Additional bloom information:	Highest concentration of 2600痢 toxin/ 100g mussel tissue recorded during May.
Event-related bibliography:	PITCHER, G.C. and A. C. COCKROFT 1998 - Low oxygen, rock lobster strandings and PSP. In Harmful Algae News, ed, T. Wyatt, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, 17: 1-3

Environmental Conditions

Weather:	Turbidity (NTU):	Wind direction:
Stratified water:	Oxygen content (nL/L):	Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C):	Oxygen saturation %:	Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m):	Salinity:	Current Velocity:

Nutrient information:

Temperature Range During Event:

Max: °C, Min: °C

Salinity Range During Event:

Bloom location in the water column:

Growth:

Growth Comments

Additional Environmental information:

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin

Toxin type

Toxin details

Max. concentration

Assay type

Kit used:

Type of kit used:

Additional information:

Shellfish toxicity but no direct reference to the tests carried out.

Economic losses:

2000 tons of of west coast rock lobster due to the low oxygen event from the Ceratium furca bloom

Management decision:

From March 1997 to August 1997 a ban was placed on the collection of wild shellfish

Additional harmful effect information:

On 30 April 1997 a woman died after eating white mussels (Donax serra), 9 May another woman died after eating black mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), on 13 May four Taiwanese sailors were admitted to hospital after eating both raw and cooked mussels.

Created at 02:36 on 11 Jan 2019
Updated at 08:42 on 14 Jan 2019