CLINICAL ASPECTS OF ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY AQUATIC ANIMALS

HADDAD JR., V.(1)

(1)Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - Universidade Estadual Paulista - Brasil

The accidents by venomous and poisonous aquatic animals may provoke serious problems, including important morbidity and occasional death of the patients. The cnidarians (jellyfishes, especially Cubomedusas, and Portuguese-man-of-war) caused nearly 25% of the accidents observed in a sequence of 283 accidents by aquatic animals registered by the author in Brazil (1). The sea urchins provoked about 50% of the accidents and diverse species of venomous fishes nearly 25%. The more important venomous fishes observed in Brazilian marine waters were catfishes (more than 50% of the accidents by fishes), stingrays and scorpionfishes, the same fishes that cause the majority of the accidents caused by venomous fishes around the world, but there are many others species of Brazilian fishes that have venom in their spines or stings and cause accidents in a minor frequency.

In freshwater ambient, the stingrays and catfishes provoke severe accidents, with observation of intense pain and necrosis. The mechanism of the poisoning and the effects of the toxins are very alike the marine species of stingrays and catfishes.

The author presents the first measures for the control of the severe pain observed mainly in the accidents caused by cnidarians and venomous fishes.

REFERENCES

(1) Haddad Jr, V. Atlas de animais aquáticos perigosos do Brasil.  São Paulo, Editora Roca, 2000. 145 p. 

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

HADDAD JR., V. Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Caixa Postal, 557, CEP 18618-000, Botucatu, SP, Brasil  Email: haddadjr@fmb.unesp.br