This document summarizes various marine toxins from sea creatures found in oceans around the world. It describes the extreme toxicity of venoms from the Conus sea snail, box jellyfish like Chironex fleckeri, scorpionfish, lionfish, stingrays, and the blue-ringed octopus. Their stings and bites can cause severe pain, paralysis, cardiac issues, and even death within minutes without proper treatment. First aid responses include washing wounds, applying hot or cold water, removing tentacles or barbs, giving pain medication, and seeking immediate medical help for more serious symptoms or lack of improvement.

1. TOXICOLOGY HOUR:
Marine Toxins

2. CONUS
• Conus geographus", which is classified as most
dangerous because of its very strong venom
cocktail. Its shell shows map-like markings.
• Also called “cigarette-snail” because it is told
that after the stitch there is only the time to
smoke a cigarette before passing away.
• In the Philippines all certifieddeaths are
caused by this sea snail.

3. The following symptoms have been described:
>At first very short-run swelling and vehement pains in the place
of puncture
>Locale and/or generalizing deafness
>Nausea, dizziness, eye-defects
>Weakness, paralytic symptoms in the extremities
> Flat breath, weak pulse, unconsciousness
>Breath paralysis, coma, death (in a described case after five
hours)

4. • In case of sting-injection there are no specific
emergency measures and no antidote exists. A
general help could be: ligature of the affected
limb, the immersion of the limb into very cold
or very hot water, artificial respiration in case
of respiratory paralysis and immediate
medical consultation.

5. BoxJellyfish
• species of box jellyfish produce extremely
potent venom: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia
barnesi and Malo kingi. Stings from these and a few
other species in the class are extremely painful and can
be fatal to humans
• In Australia, fatalities are most often due to the largest
species of this class of jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri.
• The venom causes cells to become porous enough to
allow potassium leakage, causing hyperkalemia, which
can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death as
quickly as within 2 to 5 minutes. It was postulated that
a zinc compound may be developed as an antidote.[17]

6. • in the Philippines alone, an estimated 20-40
die annually from Chirodropid stings), likely
due to limited access to medical facilities
and antivenom
• Vinegar is used as treatment by locals in the
Philippines.[21]

7. Portuguese Man of War
• Its sting is painful, but not
fatal.
• Unless symptoms become
severe in muscle pain
(abdomen, chest, limbs,
etc.), headache, weakness
that may result in
collapse, having a runny
nose and watery eyes,
difficulty in swallowing,
sweating and rashes, first-
aid steps can easily be
taken.

8. First-Aid
• A person stung by a Portuguese man-of-war has to remain still to
avoid further release of toxins into the body. In treating the sting,
the remaining tentacles should be removed from the skin, so pain
can be more easily managed. Wearing gloves while removing the
remaining tentacles is a better option. A clean stick or tweezers will
do the job. A razor blade, credit card or shell can also remove small
poisonous sacs or nematocysts that can get stuck to the skin.
• When the tentacles have been taken out, wash the affected area
with seawater and to ease the pain, soak in lukewarm water.
Painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol can also help. If the pain
remains after around 15-20 minutes, however, seeking immediate
medical assistance is the best way to go.
• Vinegar, baking soda, alcohol and urinating are big no-no's in the
treatment of pain caused by the sting of Portuguese men-of-war.

9. Scorpion Fish
Scorpion fish are members of the family Scorpaenidae, which
includes lionfish and stonefish. The fins of these prickly fish carry
poisonous venom.

10. • A scorpion fish sting causes
intense pain and swelling at
the site of the sting. Swelling
can spread to affect an entire
arm or leg within minutes.
Other symptoms can include:
• Blood pressure changes --
may be high or low
• Delirium
• Diarrhea
• Fainting
• Heart rate changes -- may
be fast or slow
• Nausea and vomiting
• Paralysis
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath

11. LionFish
• A soluble toxic extract derived from spine
tissue of the lionfish (Pterois volitans)
decreased heart rate and force of contraction
• Bursts of transient depolarizations were
recorded and are thought to be due to the
increased release and then depletion of
acetylcholine from the nerve terminal.

12. Lionfish Sting Response and First
Aid
1. Surface Safely. If you are diving
you must get to the surface and
onto land or a stable platform in a
safe and controlled manner. ...
2. Clean and Disinfect Wound. ...
3. Control Bleeding. ...
4. Apply Non-Scalding Hot Water.
...
5. Take Pain Medication. ...
6. Seek Medical Treatment.

13. Home Care
• Seek immediate medical attention.
• Wash the area with warm water if possible. Soak the wound in the hottest
water the person can tolerate for 30 to 90 minutes while seeking medical
attention.
Emergency Room
• Measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature,
pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
• The wound will be soaked in a cleaning solution and any remaining foreign
material will be removed. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate.
• The patient may also receive:
• Antibiotics, if necessary
• Life support (blood pressure, circulation, breathing), if necessary
• Pain medication
• Tetanus shot, if necessary

14. • Stingray-related fatalities (in humans) are extremely rare, partly
because a stingray's venom, while extraordinarily painful, isn't
usually deadly -- unless the initial strike is to the chest or abdominal
area.
• A stingray's venom is not necessarily fatal, but is extremely painful.
It's composed of the enzymes 5-
nucleotidase and phosphodiesterase and the
neurotransmitter serotonin.
( Serotonin causes smooth muscle to severely contract, and it
is this component that makes the venom so painful. The enzymes
cause tissue and cell death. If the venom is introduced into an area
like the ankle, it can usually be treated. Heat breaks down stingray
venom and limits the amount of damage it can do. If not treated
quickly enough, amputation might be necessary.)

15. Blue-ringed Octopus
• The bite is reportedly painless with victims not
knowing that the they have been bitten until
it’s too late, and the venom has spread.
• If you want to measure how deadly they are, a
25 gram blue-ringed octopus possesses
venom potent enough to kill 10 fully-grown
humans.
• The major neurotoxin component is a
compound that was originally known as
maculotoxin but was later found to be
identical to tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin also
found in pufferfish, and in poison dart frogs.
• Tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times more toxic than
cyanide.

16. Blue-ringed Octopus
• The venom secreted along with their saliva that gets into
the bite wound and quickly spreads around the body which
results in full body paralysis (including the lungs).
• There is no antidote known yet but a victim can survive if
they are connected to respirator or are given mouth to
mouth resuscitation until the venom is worn down in the
body (usually after about 24hrs)
• One interesting thing is that the octopus itself doesn't make
the toxin.There are bacteria that live in the salivary (spit)
glands of the octopus that actually make the poison
(mutualism)

17. THANKYOU!!!