General Information

Event name: US-04-010
Country: UNITED STATES
Nature of the harmful event:
Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Humans
Toxicity detected: Yes
Associated syndrome: PSP
Unexplained toxicity: No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector): Southern puffer fish - Sphoeroides nephelus.
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: Yes (Human poisoning events are followed up by Florida Department of Health. Puffer fish toxicity events)
Event occurred before in this location: Yes (19 cases in 2002; 3 cases in 2003)
Individuals to contact: LANDSBERG, Jan

Location & Date

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Location: Latitude: , Longitude:
General location information: Indian River Lagoon north, near Titusville, Florida East coast
HAB Area code(s): US-15
Additional location information:
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information:

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Pyrodinium bahamense ( cells/L)
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information:
Event-related bibliography:

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: No Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: Current Velocity: 0
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
P. bahamense & trace STX concs in multiple sp Saxitoxins ELISA
Sphoeroides spengleri (bandtail puffer fish) Saxitoxins ELISA
Sphoeroides testudineus (checkered puffer fis Saxitoxins ELISA
Sphoeroides nephelus (Southern puffer fish) Saxitoxins ELISA
Kit used: Type of kit used:
Additional information: Multiple assays.
Economic losses:
Management decision: Puffer fish harvesting in the Indian River Lagoon has been banned by the FWC since 2002; routine PSP monitoring implemented since 2002
Additional harmful effect information: Followed up by Florida Department of Health. Other: Saxitoxin puffer fish poisoning - 5 cases in 2004.
Updated at 07:52 on 2 Nov 2020
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