So my Social Media Circle was quite generous to me today when I reached out and asked for any personal experience with the deadly Palytoxin we are faced with when dealing with some of our reefs. My take on the output? People are very confused – mistaking bacterial infections for the neurotoxin. Take note – “streaking” is blood poisoning which is a huge indicator for bacteria. No biggie, we all get misdirected at times, but for your safety as an aquarist it’s still important to recognize the symptoms. Not unlike the flu, nausea, vomiting, chills, fever, the works. Go to a hospital. But let’s take some time to visit your personal stories with the dangerous polyps. Warning: the following images are somewhat graphic. I hope you all take this as a stark reminder to protect yourself when dealing with lethal species. Unfortunately, again in warning, these stories don’t all have happily ever afters…
From a good friend of mine, Jeff Saurwein:
A couple of years ago, I was fragging a small colony of Nuclear Green Palythoas (Palys) at work with a bandsaw. I had taken the common precautions of wearing gloves and eye protection. After 5 or 10 mins, I started sneezing and caughing. After 15 minutes, I started having trouble breathing. Being a common sufferer of allergies, I brushed it off and thought my allergies were getting the best of me and decided to head home to get away from what was irritating me. After I ate dinner and took a shower, I started getting cold sweats and severe muscle aches that started in my lower back and eventually spread to most of my upper body. The closest thing I can compare it to would be flu like symptoms minus the vomiting. This went on for approximately 12 hours. After an awful nights sleep, I woke up the following morning feeling like I spent the entire night in a hot yoga studio. After doing some reading, I determined the palytoxin had gotten into the water used in the band saw. When the band saw blade rotated, it created a fine mist that I enhaled. This caused the initial respiratory response I experienced. I had forgone using a mask as I had never thought about the palytoxin spreading out into the air in that way. After my experience, everyone fragging zoanthids and Palythoas was required to wear gloves, protective eye wear and a mask.
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