Denizens of the Deep Sea
Chironex Fleckeri
Symptoms and Treatment for Attacks:Attack on humans is identified with agonizing pain on the body, as painful as an acid attack or extremely hot iron. With the release of its tentacles from the body, there appear welt marks on the affected part of the skin. In some cases the tentacles hang on for a while posing greater danger as the venom injected increases.
6-8 yards of welt length could easily kill an adult human. The aftermath is pain, development of shock, fever, muscle cramps, numbness and paralysis and even death. With instant first aid treatment, one may just experience controllable pain, fever, shock, rise in temperature, blistering (urticae), and swelling.
The injected toxin in the human blood stream leads to malfunctioning of heart muscle cells, (non-rhythmical heart pulse rate), and subsequently shutting down the heartbeat. A human antivenene was discovered in 1970 sequel to efforts of Dr. Jack Barnes since 1966. A sample of the toxin was taken and injected into laboratory animals (mice, rabbit, sheep). The animals developed antibodies against it. This was collected, processed and dispensed in vials for human treatment.
However, other scholars have suggested several other measures as ice-packs to be applied to the welt marks between 5-15 minutes to alleviate the pains. Rinsing the stings in the fresh water and dousing it with anti-inflammation or anti-histaminic drugs or lotions like Papain, hydrocortisone cream, oral prednisone and ultra-potent steroid cream. However, caution must be taken in this regard.
For instance one is wont to suggest the use of alcohol, vinegar, and some other chemical solutions such as formalin, boric acid, and bicarbonate of sodium. Not only have they been found ineffective but some especially alcohol could trigger the nematocysts.
In fact, vinegar (containing acetic solution) that was formerly claimed to be effective is now adjudged to be good in preventing further discharge and removing adherent tentacles. It rather worsens the sting pain and thus should not be used.
It is imperative to emphasize however that the best treatment or medicine for this attack is extreme caution. Caution in knowing how, when and where to go for beach picnics, seafaring, fishing adventures and so on.
Systematics of Chironex Fleckeri
Morphology of Chironex Fleckeri
Life Cycle of Chironex Fleckeri
Mode of Life of Chironex Fleckeri