Box Jellyfish in Thailand and The Region

Frontline Physician Confirms Langkawi Con

2012-01-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

The beautiful and very popular north Queensland 'resort' town of Cairns with its international airport and renowned visitor facilities is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and one of Australia's Box Jellyfish hotspots. Below are comments from experienced Emergency Physician Dr Jim Reeves who at the Cairns Base Hospital is at the frontline of Box Jellyfish and Irukandji treatment. Dr Reeves was recently in Langkawi and was horrified to see unsuspecting people swimming in a popular self-proclaimed world-class tourist area near a number of dangerous Box Jellyfish but no warning signs, vinegar stations, prevention nets or any effort of visible swimmer safety were made available.

The first comment is Dr Reeves' reply to an article on this blog while the second was posted in a Tripadvisor thread on the subject:

Hi. Great blog site and good on you for trying to bring this out into the open. I am an emergency physician in Cairns, Australia and we live with irukandji and box jelly fish too. I started a thread in the trip advisor langkawi forum last year after being astounded at seeing 6 box jellyfish in the lights of a boat one night in the harbour next to the Dana resort. I was equally amazed at the lack of warnings and public awareness.
Box jellyfish without doubt posses the most toxic venom on the planet. The last few deaths in this region have all been children and they all died in less than a couple of minutes.
We are starting to see our first irukandji envenomations of this season. There is a spectrum but good going ones develop horrendous pain syndromes, very high blood pressures and occasionally fluid in the lungs. There have been 2 deaths due to irukandji in Aus but related to the extremely high blood pressure which led to intracerebral bleeds.
We have developed effective treatment protocols for managing irukanji syndrome and have anti venom for box jellyfish stings if they get to the department. Thankfully they are rare BECAUSE OF PUBLIC AWARENESS AND WARNING SIGNS, VINEGAR AT ALL THE BEACHES! STINGER SUITS! NETTED AREAS FOR SWIMMING AND WELL ESTABLISHED TREATMENT PROTOCOLS FOR THOSE STUNG !!
As you so rightly say if the government agencies refuse to acknowledge the problem then you are stuck and none of these straightforward measures can be put into place. Blogs such as yours are needed to continue to push the issue and continue to provide safe advice to those going there.
Avoiding jellyfish is very simple - you just have to know they are there and the local authorities should be doing that instead of denying their existence.
Well done mate
Jim, Cairns

http://thaiboxjellyfish.blogspot.com/2011/01/ministry-of-health-malaysias-mission-to.html

19. Re: Beware of box jellyfish

Jan 15, 2012, 6:55 PM

Thanks for the heads up Stingerz

I hadn't had a look for quite some time.

Hats off to the person running that blog - very informative and VERY important ! The denial of a problem that is so obviously not going to go away astounds me.

I would love to have a look at the records of all those stung there this year. The descriptions do sound like irukandji. Interestingly there is a belief now that the syndrome may be caused by more than just the one type of jellyfish.

We are starting to get our first irukandji envenomations of the season and the pain some of those poor buggers go through before they are treated is horrendous. The protocols we use are relatively simple and effective using infusions of narcotics and sometimes magnesium - I don't know what treatment is given at health care facilities there - one would hope they have access to successful strategies .

I certainly wouldn't like to go through that without them - standing on a stonefish on an island off Vanuatu where there were minimal health facilities has given me insight and endless empathy. At least hot water helped a bit with the pain ! - which is not the case with jellyfish

Regards

Jim

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g298283-i8829-k4690098-o10-Beware_of_box_jellyfish-Langkawi_Langkawi_District_Kedah.html#37991639

As a footnote, reports from Irukandji sting victims admitted to the Langkawi hospital is that they are given a course of usually unidentified painkillers and sent on their way. Many return soon after when the pain becomes unbearable and can stay overnight receiving same treatment - but at least under observation, while most choose to be treated upon their return to their own countries. Magnesium here is unheard of, in fact, the problem is denied by the Dept of Health while a Langkawi official recently demonstrated at a seminar on the subject that a banana rubbed on the sting will fix the problem. He has obviously never been stung because that is absurd and a Box Jellyfish tentacle upon being rubbed would immediately shoot more lethal venom into the body.

While it is important that research be performed by marine scientists to raise awareness and formulate data, it is crucial that medicos like Dr Reeves write to the relevant authorities in Malaysia to express their views on the matter and offer their assistance if required. Might just save a life!

Big Tick for Little Koh Mak

2011-12-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Early in 2010 we wrote in the blog 'Big Test for Little Koh Mak' that this small island south of Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand needed to stand tall and follow through on its commitment to its loyal visitors.

Koh Mak is taking the initiative in Thailand ahead of Koh Samui, Koh Lanta, Railay and other jellyfish hotspots to seriously consider the wellbeing of its guests and provide them with a form of protection that just may well save some lives in the busy Christmas/New Year holiday period.

The Ao Kao White Sand Beach Resort has rolled out a fishing net and adapted it to protect a large swimming space from jellyfish. The net appears solid and provides the resort's guests and visitors with a sizeable area within which to enjoy the water. This is perfect particularly for children and will hopefully provide a good level of protection from stinging jellyfish including lethal box jellyfish that are known to live in these waters.

It is very important to acknowledge the value of such an initiative and pat the good people of Koh Mak on the back for doing such a terrific job in providing serious care for the visitors that love relaxing on its beaches and propping up its growing economy. Further serious stings on this island could potentially harm its development so being proactive is essential and Koh Mak has not been afraid to highlight the issue and demonstrate that it is prepared to change and improve to protect its guests and its reputation.

However, this is just the beginning, just the start! Jellyfish prevention nets operate in Australia and are specially engineered, designed, manufactured, operated and maintained to prevent jellyfish from entering during all weather conditions and all tide positions. These are 'smart' nets. Fishing nets will provide an element of good protection but it is difficult to see how big or deep this Koh Mak net extends. Box Jellyfish as explained in a previous blog can swim and see and can move around or under obstacles such as fishing nets. So while this net may prevent 'floating' jellyfish from entering it may not stop lethal Box Jellyfish.

Visitors to Koh Mak need to be reminded that this net at Ao Kao will provide them with some protection but for absolute safety and peace of mind the ONLY proven way of not being stung is to wear a full length lycra swimming suit.

Tourism and hospitality operators on Koh Mak need to be reminded that this net is a great start that must be improved upon if effective protection is to be offered. Vinegar must be made available on the beach - a good, obvious position is near the net so that it can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. These photographs below show clearly just what works in Australia and what would work equally well in Thailand. Vinegar should be splashed on a sting for at least 30 seconds to 'kill' the stings and stop the flow of venom into the body. It is the venom that will kill a human in minutes - vinegar MUST be applied IMMEDIATELY!

Proper, permanent, effective signs need to be put up on the beaches. These signs should not be 'scary' and not made to turn people off from entering the water. The signs need to be to the point but can be subtle and a good idea might be to organise a competition on the island or beach among the local community and visitors (particularly the kids) to come up with a clever design. Take ownership of the issue, as Koh Mak is doing, and take it to the position it needs to go so that everyone is provided with the best prevention possible. Ao Kao's sign above is done in fun colours and provides a good focal point for kids - they are certainly on the right track!

This sign at Koh Lanta is not in a good position to be seen by everyone and the image and words used on the sign do not fully convey the right message - BUT a sign is a sign and this is better than nothing!

The team at Koh Mak's Ao Kao beach need to be congratulated for being proactive and wanting to take control of this problem to ensure their guests' safety. Resorts, hotels, beaches, communities, tourism operators plus the tourist and hospitality industry authorities and government officials need to follow the lead made by little Koh Mak and make a big decision themselves to provide the best possible protection for all water users.

Box jellyfish numbers and that of other stinging jellyfish are only going to increase, tourist numbers will increase, action needs to be taken now to avoid any future tragedies. Koh Mak is listening, they are paying attention to their guests' concerns and their own conscience, and they are acting - well done Koh Mak!

Tourists will certainly feel more safe and relaxed at Ao Kao beach on Koh Mak - as they should on every tourist beach around Thailand!

Pics courtesy of Koh Mak Facebook site 2011.

Malaysian Government Says 'No!' to Box Jellyfish Research

2011-10-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's official! The Malaysian Government is not at all interested in protecting the lives of its citizens and guests in relation to the threat of Box Jellyfish both now and into the future.

Not only have they ignored the problem, ignored the serious stings, ignored the deaths, they have swept the problem under the carpet and made it clear that they want nothing to do with it when they should in fact be setting up a safety awareness system without delay. Of course they will pour all of their resources and energies into tourism as that fits in easily and neatly with their policy on getting everyone rich quickly without worrying about details.

As we have discussed in this blog, lethal Box Jellyfish do exist in Malaysia and Langkawi in particular is a hot spot. People namely tourists are regularly stung - thankfully not fatally but it occurs. So what does the Malaysian Government do to help? Walk away.

You are on your own folks! The local tourist industry in some parts is trying though to what extent their methods are effective remains unclear.

Like any similar problems where no-one knows anything about the problem - what exactly are they, where are they, how many are there, etc - research is essential. Scientific research will answer the questions that matter most and paint a clear picture of the danger and the risk. Scientific research will then be able to provide those in other areas of government such as health and tourist officials with strong detailed information from which to form strategies and policies to protect those that use Malaysia's waters, those that are at risk of serious stings or death.

Malaysia has some expert marine scientists and they are more than willing to dedicate their time and knowledge and resources to this research. So much so that they have made numerous approaches to the government for assistance, they of course need funding, not much, they need to inform people of the danger and they need to analyse the problem.

The Malaysian Government has officially and categorically said NO.

Short-sighted in the extreme, this problem is expected to grow. While it is a problem now though not one that takes many lives, the danger signs are there staring these money-blinded officials in the face as many people are being seriously stung. It is expected, though no-one can tell for certain without research, that Box Jellyfish numbers in the area will increase with development and pollution. The risk will increase. The chances of more fatalities will rise.

This problem needs addressing NOW!

The Malaysian Government needs to be pro-active and provide their marine scientists with the proper support such as a ounce of encouragement and a generous allocation of money to get the ball rolling. They need a start, it must start somewhere before it is too late.

Firstly though, the Malaysian Government needs to pull its head out of the sand and acknowledge that there is a problem, that dangerous jellyfish live in Malaysian waters. They can't even bring themselves to that even though the evidence is damning. Thailand has done it. Thailand is taking action. Thailand can see the threat to the lives of people, the threat to their lucrative tourism industry. Thailand like Australia before it in the 1960/70s recognises that acknowledging the problem is in fact productive and will benefit tourism in the medium/long term.

Take care of yourselves people, because in Malaysia the irresponsible authorities who welcome your hard-earned cash will not lift a finger to help you in return.

Rising Waters, Rising Risk!

2011-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Thailand is under water with severe flooding occurring in numerous places and Bangkok is indeed the most well publicised danger spot occupying plenty of media time. The images are incredible. My thoughts go out to the resilient Thais struggling with this natural disaster which they will of course overcome with their strong spirit and hard work. The TV has of course highlighted the unusual as well and scenes of crocodiles and snakes flushed into the flowing streets are catching the world's attention.

While one would not expect box jellyfish to be lurking at the feet of people forcing their way knee deep along a flooded street, the threat will come afterwards in the sea.

The flood waters will make their way back to the sea and take with them rubbish, debris, pollutants and every manner of nasty stuff that is going to make one hell of a mess. Obvious health issues such as dangerous e-Coli levels and other such bugs and submerged obstacles await those going into the water to swim, snorkel, fish etc. Most of this will of course be concentrated around areas most affected by the flood waters.

Box Jellyfish and indeed every other jellyfish thrive in such conditions. Increased nutrification of the water through dispersement of pollution and fertilisers provide food for jellyfish and increase their chances of survival. And survive they will! By the millions and millions and millions and more.

Be extra careful after the floods subside and for some time after that as it is most likely that jellyfish numbers will increase and take the risk of being stung up another notch.

If you notice this happening or otherwise please let me know.

Do Boxies Sting Based on Skin Colour? It's a No Brainer!

2011-08-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Box Jellyfish are not racist! In fact, choosing to sting a person based on their race or skin colour is a no brainer for the boxie. They will sting whatever happens to get tangled in their tentacles.

So regardless of race, creed, colour, religion, gender, age, sexual persuasion or anything else that we are all naturally born with; a Box Jellyfish will not discriminate, it will sting with a view to kill.

The Lund Vision Group at Lund University in Sweden has done extensive research in the area of Box Jellyfish vision ( http://www.lu.se/vision-group/research/research-projects/vision-in-primitive-animals) and demonstrated that the animal can see and can somehow make decisions based on their sight, though the world of the Box Jellyfish is black and white and light and shade and seemingly designed for navigational purposes.

It is believed that there would be more fatalities from Box Jellyfish stings if it were not for the fact that they can swim quickly around an obstacle such as a rock, mangrove roots or slow moving leg - not so a fast moving child, and more children than adults are stung.

So forget this notion that Box Jellyfish hunt white legs as opposed to brown legs and seem to have this thing agaist Caucasians while having a soft spot for Asians. Even if you are covered in hair, even if you are canine or bovine or Frankenstein, a Box Jellyfish will sting you, the stinging cells will penetrate your skin (that goes for dogs and cows and buffalo too) and deadly venom will enter the bloodstream and then your life will be in the hands of the Gods (does this mean a boxie is a believer or an atheist?)

Good old, man-made lycra or spandex between the boxie and your skin will prevent a sting!

Bluebottles Wash Up On Phuket's Beaches

2011-06-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks once more to http://thailandboxjellyfish.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/bluebottles-invade-phuket-how-to-treat-a-sting/ it has been brought to our attention that dangerous Bluebottle jellyfish (unrelated to Box Jellyfish) are causing problems on Phuket's beaches at the moment.

Some believe that vinegar (used for Box Jellyfish and other tropical jellyfish stings) should be used to treat Bluebottle stings. This was until recently accepted practice but as the article below outlines, this method is now obsolete ..

DO NOT USE VINEGAR ..

Dangerous jellyfish known commonly as Bluebottles or Portuguese man’o War have been washing up on Phuket’s beaches for the past week or so causing much consternation and fear among beach users and authorities.

The Bluebottles have also been causing much confusion among many people with some experts saying that vinegar should be used to treat a sting. The fact is that vinegar should NOT be used to treat a bluebottle sting.

Here is what to do if stung by a Bluebottle:

◦Keep the victim at rest, reassure and keep under constant observation

◦Do not allow rubbing of the sting area.

◦Pick off any tentacles (this is not dangerous to the rescuer) and rinse sting area well with seawater to remove invisible nematocysts

◦Place the victim’s stung area in hot water (no hotter than the rescuer can comfortably tolerate) for 20 minutes.

◦If local pain is unrelieved by heat, or if hot water is not available, apply a cold pack or ice in a dry plastic bag.

◦If pain persists or is generalised, if the sting area is large (half of a limb or more), or involves sensitive areas (eg the eye) call an ambulance and seek assistance from a lifesaver/lifeguard if available.

Until recently tropical and non-tropical Bluebottle stings were treated differently. The Australian Resuscitation Council’s latest guidelines recommend that vinegar NOT be used for any species of Bluebottle (Physalia physalis in Australia and Physalia utriculus in South-East Asia) whether in the tropics or temparate climate and the above procedure be strictly applied.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10556&display=1

Life-Threatening West Railay Sting - Chironex the probable Culprit!

2011-06-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

This story was taken from another blog on the subject - thanks to http://thailandboxjellyfish.wordpress.com/

The deadly Chironex species of Box Jellyfish is the most likely culprit that caused a life-threatening sting to a British woman on a West Railay beach in June 2011.

Some of the life-threatening stings suffered by a British woman while swimming at beautiful West Railay beach, Krabi in June 2011

The woman reported that she was swimming at around 6pm when she felt exruciating pain on her legs, arm and abdoman. With up to 4 tentacles still on her body, the woman emerged from the sea experiencing severe pain as though her entire body was on fire and she began hyperventilating. The sting was later deemed as 'life-threatening' and it was her controlled breathing and quick action that most likely saved her life.

There were no warning signs at the beach or resorts. No staff warned that there was the risk of a sting. The woman was helped to a nearby restaurant where a staff member suggested that she apply vinegar to the stings - no vinegar was available! This staff member told the woman that he often sees people stung yet even so nothing is made available or done to ensure that stings can be treated on the spot and lives potentially saved.

Last November a Spanish woman was severaly stung at the same place - it is presumed that many are stung but do not report so no official acknowledgement is made. The only reason this recent case is known is because the woman went to the trouble of reporting it. All stings should be reported. Contact either the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, Thailand Dept of Public Health (Bureau of Epidemiology) or the Marine Medic - all websites are listed in this blog profile.

The Chironex Box Jellyfish venom stops the will to breathe and it was the controlled breathing of this woman over a 2 hour period of intense pain and suffering that most likely kept her alive.

The woman has experienced prolonged nerve problems and loss of appetite since the sting. The scarring is severe at the moment but should heal well if properly treated.

With plenty of mangrove areas in around Krabi, Ao Nang and Railay beaches providing excellent habitat for Box Jellyfish, it is advised that all people swimming in or using the water in the region should carry their own vinegar and preferably wear a lycra suit.

Jellyfish Lotion - Does It Work?

2011-05-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Safe Sea lotion advertises "stops stings from jellyfish" can we assume that includes lethal box jellyfish? No!

This lotion may well protect against certain jellyfish as claimed BUT it's not proven to protect against the killer box jellyfish species.

http://www.buysafesea.com/

Chironex and Irukandji are the two most dangerous box jellyfish as discussed on this blog. While the manufacturers Nidaria and Thailand/Malaysia distributers Oceanline do not say that their product protects against the world's most deadliest animal, they do not claim that it does not - yet they link their lotion to the killer species and speak in general terms about 'jellyfish'. An irresposnsible and potentially dangerous act AND as it has already been pointed out to them, an act that could catch up with them in the courts if a user of their product were to be badly stung.

A lot has previously been said about this and that detail is embedded in this post below so no point going through it all again now.

However, after ALL of that, Safe Sea is at it again!

Having pulled their online presence in 2009 after linking their product with the current local box jellyfish news and initial wave of uncertainty and fear using text, images and links to indicate their possible prevention; Oceanline line head honcho Steffen Kochan vowed at the time to ensure that testing would be conducted on Thailand's Chironex sp. jellyfish. Well, that has not been done and even more alarming is they're back. And this time, the focus is on children with Nidaria announcing the release in February 2011 of their 'New Kids Safe Sea' lotion in Thailand.

http://www.nidaria.com/Nidaria/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=10000&FID=850

Jump to the Oceanline website that has reappeared unchanged and note that they claim that there's "is the only product that was tested and proven to be effective against jellyfish." And that Safe Sea is about to inflict the same false and potentially dangerous sense of security to Malaysia and Indonesia, two other countries in the region with confirmed human fatalities from Chironex box jellyfish.

http://oceanline.asia/

Nidaria has posted test results - have a look and see if you can find anything on Chironex or Irukandji .. you won't. There was testing on other species of box jellyfish, Chiropsalmus, though this is a lesser species not associated with killing people and as jellyfish marine scientists will atest, not all species are the same, not all stinging cells or nematocysts are the same, not all species of Chironex are the same (the Australian fleckeri species does look quite different to the Thai Chironex) - complete effacacy MUST be proven. It is simply not good enough to say that the product sort of works at around 70-80% for one type of jellyfish then assume it will protect 100% from a lethal untested species.

PREVIOUS BLOG ON SAFE SEA LOTION:

Dear All,

A product now on the market in Thailand is Safe Sea which claims to prevent jellyfish stings. Its been around for 10 years or so and is very popular in the USA. Its developer Nidaria is based in Israel and tested the lotion on several species of jellyfish mainly it seems in Florida and Japan.

While Safe Sea according to some studies (detailed on that company's website http://www.nidaria.com/) demonstrates a certain level of efficacy with certain species of jellyfish, NO testing has been undertaken on the world's deadliest animal that is reponsible for numerous deaths in Thailand and hundreds worldwide, the chironex-type box jellyfish.

The product is being marketed in Thailand by a company called Oceanline who throughout their advertising refer loosely to the Box Jellyfish while mentioning fatalities and showing images of stings. The danger is that this is misleading and could provide a false sense of security with their customers while at the same time undermining the efforts of the Thai government and others working towards better prevention and treatment methods.

Safe Sea is popular and may well help prevent stings of some jellyfish and other marine stingers however it is not proven on Thailand's killer jellyfish and if there is no scientific evidence then it should not be relied on.

Following is some dialogue between a team of box jellyfish experts including myself and Nidaria that should shed some light on this issue and note it's a reasonably lengthy read:

Dear nnnnn,

We have been following the recent renewed correspondence about the proposed marketing of Safe Sea in Thailand. As you are aware, there are a group of us, including some well-known medical and marine biological jellyfish experts, who have been closely monitoring the situation with dangerous jellyfish in Thailand and we are all very concerned about the introduction of Safe Sea at this point in time.Let us re-state some important facts:

1. There is definitely at least one variety of potentially lethal box jellyfish found in Thai waters. This includes the Chironex species as well as other chirodropids, currently unidentified, but probably just as venomous . There is absolutely no doubt about this as we have received good photographic evidence of these jellyfish, and have extensive evidence from numerous cases over more than a 20 years of the distinctive scarring caused by the stings of these particular jellyfish.

2. There have been numerous documented deaths caused by jellyfish in Thailand over many years: we currently have an article in print with details of a number of documented deaths and “near-misses”. The death of the Swedish girl last year was certainly not an isolated case, although to date it was the one that received the broadest media attention. We also have a steadily increasing number of case reports of life-threatening stings, including those with permanent scarring as well as those producing Irukandji syndrome.

3. Substantial experience from northern Australia over many years has shown the importance of effective prevention strategies. To date these have included the wearing of protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education. As a result, despite the presence of large numbers of dangerous jellyfish at certain times of the year, there are very few serious stings.

4. The Safe Sea may have been shown to be an effective barrier to the stings of certain species of jellyfish. However, it appears that there is absolutely no evidence that it is effective in the prevention of stings from life-threatening box-type jellyfish, especially Chironex.

5. We are further concerned that even if Safe Sea should someday be demonstrated to be “as effective” for Chironex-type box jellyfish as it claims for other species (i.e., 75% efficacy, in reducing the frequency and severity of stings), this is still unacceptably high for otherwise unprotected exposure to lethal species. In light of the above, we consider it to be irresponsible and dangerous to promote an unproven product in an area where the consequences of using the product could prove fatal. It is likely that tourists and Thai locals would be lulled into what could well be a false sense of security by using Safe Sea instead of taking preventative measures that have proven to be effective. Severe stings or deaths occurring without added protection of these preventative measures we suggest could have ongoing consequences.

Receiving FDA approval from Thailand does not indicate that the product is effective against Chironex-type box jellyfish stings and can be misleading in this context.For all the above reasons we implore you to refrain from marketing Safe Sea in Thailand until such time that it has been independently demonstrated to be effective against the potentially lethal species found there and it is established that this product effectively prevents envenomation when interacting with these species.

Sincerely,

John Lippmann OAM, Executive Director DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN) ASIA-PACIFIC

Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin, Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services

Dr Peter Fenner MD (London), DRCOG, FACTM, FRCGP Box Jellyfish expert

Dr Ken Winkel, Director Australian Venom Research Unit

Andrew Jones Father of jellyfish sting survivor

Direct Marketing email from Oceanline (sorry pics not attached showed stinger suits and nets in their worst possible light while a blonde Scandinavian looking girl of around 10 years smiles and swims next to an image of chironex stings of victim possibly deceased):

As you are probably aware, the number ofjellyfishworldwide is increasing dramatically. InThailandalone we find beaches infested with jellyfish more than ever before.

The tentacles of all jellyfish sting, but fortunately most stings only cause minor problems. There are however also some verydangerousjellyfish out there. In Thailand many accidents with jellyfish have been reported which led to beach resorts in Thailand being instructed to carryvinegaras a first-aid treatment (you might remember the sad story of the Swedish girl who was killed by a box jellyfish in November last year).

Protect your customers, yourself and your family from painful jellyfish stings!

There are 3 kind of protections available on the market:

Stinger Suits

Safe SeaJellyfish Sting Protective Sun Screen Lotion

Swimming Nets

-waterproof-

Our company,OceanLine, is proud to be the exclusive distributor in Thailand of the revolutionary productSafeSea2-IN-1 Sunscreen Lotion with Jellyfish Sting Protection!

SafeSeaLotion was developed through 10 years of bio-technological research, partly funded by the US Navy and the United Nations. Worldwide it is the only lotion that was tested in FDA certified hospitals and proven to be effective against jellyfish stings (test results on file). Safe SeaLotion has been available in America, Europe and some Asian countries for some years already.

The Health Ministry of Thailand and the Phuket Marine Biological Center are in the process of raisingawarenessof the dangers of jellyfish stings. OceanLines SafeSeaLotion is already available at some hotels, supermarkets, dive and surf centers and we aim to have it available in all major beach tourist areas in Thailand in the near future.

http://www.oceanline.asia/"

Address: 84 Taina Road, T.Karon, A.Muang, 83100 Phuket - Thailand

Tel: 076-330640 Fax: 076-330544

Dear all

Thank you for your concern and studious monitoring of the jellyfish situation and its potential threat. Please allow me to introduce Nidaria technology and its clinical research as well as the benefits of the use of Safe Sea in Thailand. Following this letter I trust that you will agree that Safe Sea is a very important safety measure among the various systems protecting bathers from jellyfish sting. Your collaboration with Nidaria in "providing safety in the ocean" would be highly appreciated.

Nidaria technology was established by marine biologists specializing in stinging mechanisms and jellyfish venom systems. Our scientific work was published in Nature magazine (attached) and was the first to define a path way to isolate Jellyfish sting to polypeptide primary structure. With the use of antibodies we were able to understand the Nematocyst (Jellyfish sting mechanism) toxin delivery systems. This work was heavily funded by the UN (United Nations). Further research in the US allowed the development of jellyfish stinging cell inhibitors and the blocking affects of different compounds on stinging cell discharge. This scientific work paved the way for the development of Safe Sea "Sunscreen that provides protection from jellyfish sting at sea".

This concept was clinically tested for the first time at Hospital against Rhopilema in 1999. During the Years 2002 - 2004 the US Navy and US Ministry of Defence sponsored a set of clinical field tests to evaluate Safe Sea on a world wide scale. These tests were conducted in Stanford hospital and other leading medical centres worldwide. Under this project Safe Sea protection against jellyfish sting was tested against more than 10 different types of stinging Jellyfish, including 4 types of box jellyfish; amongst others Charybdea and Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, a close relative of Chironex and known by its common name in Japan as HABU Kurage (Zootaxa, 2030: 59-65 (2009)).

Further to these tests the product was tested in field tests at the ocean by the University of Minnesota, providing very good results (attached). Today Safe Sea is being sold all over Europe, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and the USA, providing good protection for millions of beach goers around the globe. Safe Sea’s claims was recognized and reviewed by the US FDA, EU authorities, Japanese Ministry of Health and other regulatory agencies.

Below you’ll find (in blue) Nidaria’s comments to your concerns. Nidaria would be happy to provide more information to demonstrate that Safe Sea provides safety at the beach. We have been following the recent renewed correspondence about the proposed marketing of Safe Sea in Thailand. As you are aware, there are a group of us, including some well-known medical and marine biological jellyfish experts, who have been closely monitoring the situation with dangerous jellyfish in Thailand and we are all very concerned about the introduction of Safe Sea at this point in time.

Let us re-state some important facts:

1. There is definitely at least one variety of potentially lethal box jellyfish found in Thai waters. This includes the Chironex species as well as other chirodropids, currently unidentified, but probably just as venomous . There is absolutely no doubt about this as we have received good photographic evidence of these jellyfish, and have extensive evidence from numerous cases over more than a 20 years of the distinctive scarring caused by the stings of these particular jellyfish.

Jellyfish stings in Thailand are a problem. It is estimated that out of the 14.5 Million tourists coming to Thailand resorts each year, about Six Million are going to enter the sea and may experience jellyfish stings of varying degrees.

Several protection options are available for tourists:

1. Regular Sun care or bare skin without any protection at all.

2. Using Safe Sea, a sunscreen that reduces the number of stinging cells that would penetrate the skin by 90%.

3. Using safety clothes.

4. Use safety clothes as well as Safe Sea.

Knowing the situation and the use of sunscreen at the beach, it is expected that the biggest portion of the tourists would select option 1. Options 2, 3 and 4 would be selected by those who are seeking more protection at sea. It is unlikely that all tourists and beach goers in Thailand would protect themselves from Jellyfish sting, however, every convenient and proven protection would reduce the risk of jellyfish sting. Offering a sunscreen with protection of jellyfish sting would benefit those who want to have the freedom of "being at the ocean with bathing suit"

2. There have been numerous documented deaths caused by jellyfish in Thailand over many years: we currently have an article in print with details of a number of documented deaths and “near-misses”. The death of the Swedish girl last year was certainly not an isolated case, although to date it was the one that received the broadest media attention. We also have a steadily increasing number of case reports of life-threatening stings, including those with permanent scarring as well as those producing Irukandji syndrome.

The death of the Swedish girl was very frustrating information for me. I have spent some time in Okinawa discussing child deaths due to Habu Kurage stings with MDs. They all confirmed that if 10% of the child’s body is covered with Habu kurage tentacles the situation can become life threatening. After testing Safe Sea against Habu kurage it can be concluded that risk of death due to exposure to that jellyfish can be reduced or eliminated by the use of Safe Sea. The likelihood of death for a child is dependent on the quantity of venom that penetrated the skin due to the discharge of stinging cells. It is expected that unprotected skin would be exposed to 2000 stings per square millimetre. Using Safe Sea, which inhibits jellyfish sting mechanism, would reduce the stinging cell penetration to 100-400 stings per square millimetre. This would reduce venom penetration quantities and the likelihood of death. In other words, in the case of kids, like the Swedish girl, the use of Safe Sea can mean the difference between life and death.

3. Substantial experience from northern Australia over many years has shown the importance of effective prevention strategies. To date these have included the wearing of protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education. As a result, despite the presence of large numbers of dangerous jellyfish at certain times of the year, there are very few serious stings.

It is clear that "protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education" can reduce the threat of jellyfish sting.

Knowing that the last child that lost his life was from Northern Australia, the advance system to protect from Jellyfish stings in that territory cannot eliminate jellyfish stings 100%. Even in Northern Australia and elsewhere in Australia many people experience jellyfish stings and can benefit from the use of Safe Sea.

The Northern Australia systems are not available in Thailand. Moreover, uneducated tourists visiting Thailand are mostly not willing to wear protective clothing. For this demographic Safe Sea has great added value and protective measures against jellyfish stings.

4. The Safe Sea may have been shown to be an effective barrier to the stings of certain species of jellyfish. However, it appears that there is absolutely no evidence that it is effective in the prevention of stings from life-threatening box-type jellyfish, especially Chironex.

Please find below a partial list of the tests that were done to demonstrate the protection level of Safe Sea against Jellyfish stings.

Ø Stanford Hospital (USA, CA). Efficacy of "Safe Sea lotion" in preventing Chrysaora jellyfish stings in normal volunteers.

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects".

Ø University of Minnesota, USA. A randomized, controlled field trial for the prevention of jellyfish stings with a topical sting inhibitor

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of tested material in preventing Mediterranean Rhopilema jellyfish sting in normal volunteers

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). Efficacy of tested material in preventing jellyfish sting in normal volunteers after seawater exposure (water resistant).

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects.“

Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Chrysaora sting.

Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Box jellyfish sting Charybdea rastonii Haeckel.

Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Blue botle jellyfish sting Physalia

Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Box jellyfish sting Chiropsalmus quadrigatus.

Ø Bert Fish Medical Center (USA, Florida). Efficacy of “Safe Sea Lotion” in preventing Chiropsalmus jellyfish stings in normal volunteers.

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects."

Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects".

Ø Germany, Cream formulations protecting against cercarial dermatitis by Trichobilharzia.

The list includes 3 different types of Box Jellyfish, including Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, which was recently identified as Chironex (Zootaxa, 2030: 59-65 (2009)).

5. We are further concerned that even if Safe Sea should someday be demonstrated to be “as effective” for Chironex-type box jellyfish as it claims for other species (i.e., 75% efficacy, in reducing the frequency and severity of stings), this is still unacceptably high for otherwise unprotected exposure to lethal species.

On the Thailand Safe Sea bottle it is specifically stated that the product has not yet been tested against Chironex and claims to "helps to prevent stings” (Not prevent). In the warning it is written that Jellyfish can be dangerous and it is not recommended to go into water infested with jellyfish. This claim is standard and complies with global standards of the USA, Europe and Japanese regulatory recommendations.

Again, in Thailand the choice is not between "protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education" OR the use of Safe Sea...

For tourists in Thailand, the choice is between:

Safe Sea protective lotion or no protection at all!

In most cases Safe Sea can provide a relaxing and sting free vacation and in some cases can even be a life saver. Therefore, in Thailand, the use of Safe Sea is highly recommended.

In light of the above, we consider it to be irresponsible and dangerous to promote an unproven product in an area where the consequences of using the product could prove fatal. It is likely that tourists and Thai locals would be lulled into what could well be a false sense of security by using Safe Sea instead of taking preventative measures that have proven to be effective. Severe stings or deaths occurring without added protection of these preventative measures we suggest could have ongoing consequences.

Again, Thailand’s beach resorts do not have safety nets. Not all tourists are educated with regards to jellyfish threats. Most tourists would not be too keen to wear protective clothing. Saying that, if I had to buy sunscreen for vacation in Thailand, Safe Sea would be my best option.

More importantly, using Safe Sea instead of regular sunscreen can save lives. Saying that everyone should stay behind nets and wear protective clothing is unrealistic in Thailand.

Nidaria does not see the use of Safe Sea as a recommendation to jump into water infested with jellyfish. We do not promote Safe Sea as Jellyfish proof.

In some way the use of Safe Sea is like driving with a safety belt… driving with a safety belt is not a recommendation to have an accident but it reduces the risk of injuries. Receiving FDA approval from Thailand does not indicate that the product is effective against Chironex-type box jellyfish stings and can be misleading in this context.

Safe Sea label was listed and reviewed by the USA FDA, UK and Japanese Ministry of Health. The Safe Sea label was reviewed by the EU community, sold under the brands of several multi national pharmaceutical companies, got approval from French AFFSAPS and is being used by the Israeli and other navies worldwide. Safe Sea has a PZ No. from the Pharmaceutical Association in Germany and is approved for sale in Sweden and Norway. Safe Sea is confirmed with UK standards as well as Italy, Austria, Holland and many other territories. The label of Safe Sea was carefully written to explain the performance of this product as well as its limitations and its benefits. Millions of users on a worldwide scale are satisfied from Safe Sea’s performance and experience a sting free vacation.

Nidaria is going to hold an academic seminar (November 29th until December 5th) on jellyfish stinging mechanisms at the Red Sea laboratory of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We would be happy to meet and discuss with the respective teams the benefits of the use of Safe Sea in preventing jellyfish stings.

I feel that organizations like DAN should promote the use of Safe Sea as one of the best preventative measure against jellyfish and Sea lice stings.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you need more information.

Best Regards

Dr. Lotan

Dr. Lotan

Nidaria Technology Ltd.

Zemach, Jordan Valley, 15132

Israel

http://www.nidaria.com/

Subject: Safe Sea - NOT PROVEN against deadly box jellyfish

Hello,

In response to concerns about Safe Sea, a lotion that claims to prevent jellyfish stings, the developers of this product have issued a statement in Thai and English.

This statement in any language DOES NOT address the concerns of jellyfish experts in Thailand and Australia currently working together to reduce box jellyfish stings and improve safety in Thailand.

It is important to note that there are numerous species of box jellyfish that are all different in some way and testing one with this product DOES NOT guarantee that all species will respond the same way.

In Thailand as in Australia, the lethal box jellyfish that is directly responsible for numerous deaths is a chironex-type box jellyfish. Safe Sea has NOT been tested on chironex-type box jellyfish.

Repeat, Safe Sea has NOT been tested on Thailand’s deadly chironex-type box jellyfish.

The marketing of this product in Thailand by a company called Oceanline uses a recent chironex-type box jellyfish tragedy to sell bottles of its lotion:

Oceanline promotional direct marketing - “There are however also some very dangerous jellyfish out there. In Thailand many accidents with jellyfish have been reported which led to beach resorts in Thailand being instructed to carry vinegar as a first-aid treatment (you might remember the sad story of the Swedish girl who was killed by a box jellyfish in November last year).Protect your customers, yourself and your family from painful jellyfish stings!”

Oceanline also uses images of victims of chironex-type box jellyfish.

This is misleading and potentially very dangerous.

The developer of this product, Nidaria, claims that chironex is a close relative of the box jellyfish this company tested (did the testing show 100% proof anyway? No.) though in scientific terms this means absolutely nothing. There is NO scientific evidence to say that Safe Sea protects against Thailand’s deadly chironex-type box jellyfish. None!

As was pointed out recently by jellyfish expert in envenomation prevention Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin; a Physalia (Portuguese Man o War jellyfish) in Thailand and Physalia in Australia respond differently to the application of vinegar (one is neutralized, one is activated), a clown fish covered by the goo from one anemone will be an easy victim for another anemone, and as is stated in Nidaria’s testing results Safe Sea works better for the Chiropsalmus quadrumanus than for the Chrysaora quinquecirrha.

Can you assume that Safe Sea will prevent the sting of a lethal chironex-type box jellyfish and will ‘testing’ be inadvertently conducted by families holidaying in Thailand?

Nidaria’s response to the experts’ concerns claims and cites many things but NEVER DEMONSTRATES any form of protection against the potentially deadly sting of the proven killer in Thai waters, the chironex-type box jellyfish.

Ask yourself why in the wake of the official lethal box jellyfish warnings issued in Thailand that Safe Sea suddenly appeared on the market and why is it that Safe Sea’s developers have not tested their product on lethal box jellyfish.

Safe swimming, diving, snorkelling and best regards,

Andrew Jones, Father of chironex-type box jellyfish sting survivor

John Lippmann OAM, Executive Director DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN) ASIA-PACIFIC

Dr Peter Fenner MD (London), DRCOG, FACTM, FRCGP Box Jellyfish expert

Dr Ken Winkel, Director Australian Venom Research Unit

Make up your own mind - Boxie Blogger

Ministry of Health Malaysia's Mission to Stymie Studies

2011-01-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

Malaysia's Ministry of Health has a vision and a mission. Their vision is to see "a nation working together for better health" and their mission? "..lead and work in partnership", "to ensure a high quality health system that is .. equitable, efficient, environmentally adaptable, innovative .. with emphasis on professionalism, caring and teamwork, respect for human dignity, community participation."

Why is it then that Ministry of Health Malaysia is holding back on damning statistics that are needed to support the commencement of a box jellyfish research project at Langkawi? Where's "working together", "equitable .. innovative .. professionalism .. caring" etc??

A Tripadvisor thread on the subject of jellyfish recently revealed that marine scientists in Malaysia are very keen to study box jellyfish in Langkawi which would of course reveal in itself something of the animals' numbers, seasons, toxicity etc thus creating valuable data to help manage the problem and protect lives.

As has been well documented in this blog but not elsewhere, around 200 people with Irukandji stings required treatment at the Langkawi Hospital in July/August 2010, who knows how many received a painful sting but chose not to go to hospital. When you are on vacation and every second in paradise is precious one must be in a hell of a lot of pain to want to go to the hospital.

One year ago the Ministry of Health Malaysia concealed the real reason for the death of Swede Karin Lofgren on Pantai Cenang Langkawi saying she drowned when clearly she was stung by a box jellyfish, and now they are concealing the truth again by refusing to allow scrutiny of the medical records of the 200+ sting victims. This data would help determine details of the jellyfish, specioes, patterns, habits, season, etc while also acting as irrefutible evidence in itself that something needs to be done and the best way to do it is by studying it.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia needs to have a check-up, clearly its eyesight is failing, its blood pressure high, its standards shoddy, its ethics dubious and its heart cold. If it really cares for Malaysians and the state of health in this country, it will support any attempt to shed light on Langkawi's box jellyfish problem because any results will ultimately benefit the health of the people, the health of the people.

Vad Vet Vi Om Maneter - Thailandsposten

2011-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Det ar en nyhetsartikel from Bjorn Gilleward in the current Thailandsposten:
Vad vet vi om maneter

CHANG 6

Ryggradslösa nässeldjur

Maneter är frisimmande ryggradslösa nässeldjur som till mycket

stor del består av vatten. De kan förflytta sig upp och ner i vattenmassan

genom att ändra sin densitet, men följer ganska passivt

med havsströmmarna och vindriktning för horisontal spridning,

vissa arter kan dessutom också simma genom rytmiska sammandragningar

av kroppshålan som åstadkommer en jetstråle

som driver dem framåt. Manetens liv är uppdelat i en cykel där

de vuxna hon- och hanmaneterna släpper ägg och spermier som

blandas och befruktas i vattnet. Ägget utvecklas till en liten planulalarv

som sätter sig på botten och blir till en fastsittande polyp

som sedan släpper ut (som små skivor) små maneter som växer

till sig tills det återigen blir dags för reproduktion och cirkeln sluter

sig. Maneten är således det frisimmande s.k. ”medusastadiet ” i

denna tvådelade livscykel.

Maneten med stort ”M”

När man diskuterar maneter som ett allvarligt problem, pratar man

oftast om s k kubmaneter med namn som box jellyfish, stinger

eller sea wasp (sjögeting). Med dessa begrepp syftar man huvudsakligen

på arter ur Chironex familjen (bl a den i Australien

förekommande Chironex fleckeri), en art av kubmaneter (cubozoans)

och ett av de giftigaste djuren på jorden. Kubmaneterna har

fyrkantig form med tentakler i varje hörn. De består av två kända

familjer. Chirodropids, de större kubmaneterna (med Chironex

fleckeri), har upp till femton tentakler (kan bli tre meter) i vart och

ett av de fyra hörnen. Chironex fleckeri har ögon och balansorgan

i varje hörn av kroppen och med ”jetdrift” kan den komma upp i

ca 4 knop. Carybdeis heter den mindre (bl.a. Carukia bamesi som

orsakar det s k Irukandji-syndromet när man blir bränd), karaktäriseras

oftast av att den bara har en enkeltentakel hängande

från varje hörn. Storleken varierar från de små maneterna, ca 10

mm i diameter upp till de stora ca 300 mm i diameter. Den största

kan väga upp till 6 kg.

Svår att upptäcka

Kubmaneten är nästan transparent, lätt mjölkfärgad ibland med

en svagt blå nyans. Detta gör den mycket svår att upptäcka, särskilt

i grumligt vatten. Manetens tentakler kan också vara indragna

och så korta som ca 35 cm för att under aktivt näringssök återta

sin fulla längd på upp till 3 meter! Det är ofta friflytande, avslitna

tentakeltrådar som ställer till de största problemen, och de kan

vara nära nog omöjliga att upptäcka.

Maneter undviker kontakt

Maneterna anfaller inte människor som ofta antyds i pressen.

Tvärtom undviker de kontakt med större föremål. Huvudfödan

för maneter är plankton, småfisk och räkor. Här visar dock aktuell

forskning att kubmaneterna inför dessa byten kan uppträda

som aggressiva och skickliga ”jägare”. När vi människor kommer

i kontakt med maneterna är det främst p.g.a. av olyckliga omständigheter.

Vi ”krockar” helt enkelt i vattnet och tyvärr är här den

mjukaste, rundaste och minsta maneten också den farligaste.

Starkt gift

Maneternas tentakler är försedda med speciella celler under

övertryck, nematocyster, som innehåller en giftförsedd hoprullad

harpunliknande hulling som skjuts ut när cellen berörs. Kubmanetens

gift är ett av de starkaste gift vi känner och angriper

både nervsystemet, muskler och huden. Drabbade offer känner

intensiv smärta, kan drabbas av chock, allergiska reaktioner och

hjärtstillestånd.

Behöver inte vara livshotande

Långt ifrån alla som blir brända av de giftiga kubmaneterna får

svåra skador eller avlider. Maneterna är mycket giftiga men det är

graden av kontakt som styr påföljderna. Lättare kontakt med en

tentakel eller tentakeltråd kan visserligen ge allvarliga brännskador

men behöver inte vara livshotande.

Maneter i Thailand

Manetförekomsten i Thailand är inte helt kartlagd men de förekommer

både i Gulf of Thailand och på västra sidan mot Andaman

Sea. Många arter är riktigt farliga, främst kubmaneter, men man

vet inte exakt vilka arter det rör sig om.Det kan vara både de

stora (inkl Chironex) och små kubmaneterna. ”Portugisisk örlogsman”

(Physalia physalia) eller ”blue bottle jellyfish” är en annan

manet man bör se upp med. Egentligen är det inte en individ utan

en koloni med olika uppgifter. Den kan ge allvarliga brännskador

men uppfattas inte lika farlig som kubmaneten. ”Örlogsmannens”

form och struktur gör den dock betydligt lättare att upptäcka i vattnet

än kubmaneterna då den har en blåaktig uppblåst flytkropp

ovanför vattenytan. Andra arter som kan ge otrevliga brännskador

är vissa arter av lungmaneter.

Hur undvika faran

Bada på stränder och i vatten som är ”kända”. Försök få relevant

information från ortens innevånare, hotellrepresentanter, resebyråer,

dykarrangörer etc. Prata med befolkningen och andra

”badgäster”. Maneterna har en tendens att komma i stim, under

vissa säsonger (som kan variera från region till region) eller under

vissa yttre betingelser (en del thailändare menar att de är vanligast

efter kraftiga regn). Vetskapen om eventuella manetincidenter

sprider sig fort och de flesta på respektive ort har god pejl

på den aktuella ”manetstatistiken”! Om du ser maneter i vattnet,

vänta inte för att studera och försöka identifiera, lämna vattnet

omedelbart. Där det finns en manet finns det ofta flera!

Använd Stinger Suit

Om manetincidenter har rapporterats, bada med stor försiktighet

eller avstå tills förhållandena ändras. När det gäller kubmaneten

i synnerhet bör man undvika flodmynningar och mangroveområden

med sötvattenutrinning (bräckvatten) och skuggiga grumliga

vatten. Välj klart, oceaniskt salt vatten, som ju också är det

trevligaste badvattnet! Oavsett risk för manet, använd en sk

”stinger suit”. Den heltäckande dräkten används vid bad i riskområden,

som solskyddsdräkt framför allt för barn, eller vid långvarig

fridykning och snorkling.

Stinger Suit är ett bra skydd mot såväl maneter som solstrålning.

Vid bad i ”osäkra” vatten eller som praktisk dräkt

vid snorkling och dykning. Här demonstrerar professor Erik

Sandewall.

I oktober 2010 dog en svensk kvinna tragiskt vid en simtur i Cha Am norr om Hua Hin. Händelsen startade en smått osannolik

mediahysteri i Sverige där främst kvällspressen men även radio och tidningar gick fullständigt i spinn! Löpsedlar med svarta

krigsrubriker förkunnande mer eller mindre dagligen hur ”dödsmaneterna anfaller på bred front i Thailand”. ThailandsPosten

har tagit hjälp av Dr Matz Berggren vid marinekologiska Institutionen vid Göteborgs Universitet och Andrew Jones från Australien,

som koordinerar de Thai- Australienska forskningsinsatserna runt kubmaneter, för att reda ut begreppen.

Text / Björn Gillewård

Faktaruta

I Thailand är maneter en delikatess. Rätten heter Meang

Caprun och serveras vanligen med glasnudlar. Oftast mycket

starkt kryddad med chili. Man samlar också in stora mängder

maneter lägger dem i en stor plastpool fylld med starkt saltat

vatten. Efter några dagar bereder man maneterna genom att

skära bort alla delar som inte går att äta och vidareprocessar de

resterande. De konserveras och exporteras till andra asiatiska

länder framförallt Japan och Sydkorea.

Den viktiga vinägern

Om någon drabbas skölj omedelbart det brända området rikligt med

vinäger upp till 30 sekunders riklig sköljning, innan bränntråden

tas bort. Vinäger är inte ett motgift men inaktiverar manetens nässelceller

och skyddar både den skadade från ytterligare giftinträngning

och den som skall avlägsna nässeltråden.

Thailändska restauranger på stranden har ofta vinäger på bordet.

Det är viktigt att INTE försöka skölja bort tentakeln med sötvatten,

det gör skadan bara värre. Försök inte heller gnugga eller skrapa

bort tentakeln innan den oskadliggjorts med vinäger. Vid allvarliga

incidenter bör man snabbt tillkalla läkarhjälp.

Vad säger statistiken

Runt 800.000 nordbor besöker Thailand varje år och närmare

100.000 är långtidsboende. Sedan 2008 har det rapporterats ett

dödsfall med manet som bekräftad i Thailand (Koh Lanta). Den

incident vi nämnde i inledningen av artikeln var inte orsakad av

manet, enligt uppgift från UD:s presstjänst, men enligt experterna

är orsaken ännu inte 100-procentigt klarlagd.

Bristfälliga uppgifter

Statistiken från Thailand totalt, inkl den inhemska befolkningen, är

bristfällig. Lokalbefolkningen som drabbas (dödligt eller inte) rapporterar

normalt inte till myndigheterna. Men med mer kunskap

om problemet kommer rapporteringen att bli bättre. Internationellt

är statistiken också bristfällig.Från Australien med relativt god uppföljning

har rapporterats ett 80-tal dödsfall under en 100-årsperiod.

Risken mycket liten

Njut av livet i vackra Thailand. Här finns maneter, precis som i alla

andra hav, men framför allt ett överflöd och överdåd av ljuvliga

stränder, kristallklart vatten och härliga dykmiljöer med stor säkerhet.

Med rätt kunskap, dialog med vår omvärld, gott omdöme

och gemensamt ansvarstagande skall vi koppla av, njuta av vår

semester och vackra marina miljöer.Sannolikheten att du skall

drabbas av allvarliga manettillbud är mycket liten.

Dr Matz Berggren, 60, är fil dr i marin biologi. Han är

forskare vid institutionen för Marin Ekologi vid Göteborgs

Universitet. han har arbetat i tropisk miljö i bl

a Östafrika, Thailand, Australien och USA. Han arbetar

främst med kräftdjur men är också intresserad

av giftiga marina djur.

Andrew Jones, journalist och reklamman från

Cairns i Austrailen, som kastades in i ”manetvärlden”

2007 då hans 4-årige son Lewis blev allvarligt bränd

av en kubmanet. Andrew är idag aktiv inom manetforskningen

som grundare av och koordinator för ett

Austrailensiskt team av experter som arbetar tillsammans

med The Phuket Marine Biological Centre and

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (Bureau of Epidemiology)

.

Langkawi's Pantai Cenang 'Highly Unsafe'

2010-12-30T03:48:00.000-08:00

Langkawi's popular Pantai Cenang was the site for a horrible box jellyfish death this year plus innumerable jellyfish stings including dozens inflicted by highly dangerous Irukandji that were serious enough to require hospitalisation with lingering painful affects.
Jellyfish expert Dr Peter Fenner often mentioned on this blog is a pioneer in box jellyfish safety and awarness in northern Australia, is internationally regarded as a leading authority and even has an Irukandji named after him, Morbakka Fenneri; he had this to say about Langkawi's Pantai Cenang , "..more people, both locals and tourists, will continue to die through lack of knowledge and action."
According to the News Straits Times 'Bid To Make Langkawi Waters Jellyfish Free' 22/12/2010, 200 box jellyfish were collected one day by a hundred or so local group members. The reporter suggested that box jellyfish including Morbakka were collected off Pantai Cenang so everything is rapidly improving, it was a story of hope - a united front to combat the aliens and get results, a kill count, plus promises of more, competitions, idyllic jellyfish-free waters around the corner. The reporter did not ask questions of experts, if the reporter had then this response from Dr Peter Fenner would have completely turned the tone of the piece on its head.
"I sincerely hope people are not given the belief that the waters have been cleared and are now safe... This CONFIRMS the fact that these waters are highly UNSAFE. With such numbers there will literally be hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of chirodropids (big box jellyfish) present in the area, including another 200 within an hour or two to the same area of beach, not to mention the sandy and mangrove coastline within hundreds of kilometres of this beach: complacency after this report – it must convey the message that dangerous jellyfish are present and awareness demands action."
Dr Fenner goes on to state, "Protective clothing, vinegar, signage, education brochures and not “ignore the problem and hope all will be ok” ... Sorry to be so blunt in the festive season but it needs to be said."
2010 on Pantai Cenang began with a terrible tragedy as a Swedish woman, Carina Lofgren was killed in the shallows by a Chironex box jellyfish as her stunned husband watched on helplessly in horror. Hundreds of other jellyfish stings occurred throughout the year, a high number of Irukandji box jellyfish hospitalized holiday makers, now here we are at the end of 2010 and little has seemingly changed.
But, there actually is some hope to be found in the article - the marine biology team from the local university involved in the 22 December collection now has 200 specimens to investigate and should be given authority to do proper specimen collections on a regular basis, a scientific study on numbers, habitat, season etc, Clean-up is warm and fuzzy but hard science is the only way. This is a jellyfish problem with big consequences.
Some local tourism and hospitality businesses have made an effort to improve awareness with signage, attempted prevention with largely inadequate netting off the beach and sensible treatment practices using vinegar stations. Some have latched onto the NST article as though it was somewhat vindicating or even exemption. What is required is a sensible, effective, co-ordinated approach utilizing the best knowledge and systems.
Pantai Cenang is a beautiful tropical beach, there are world class resorts and restaurants, tourists flock to this idyllic spot, a shining jewel in Langkawi's crown; Pantai Cenang has a box jellyfish problem, it is now a LADA organised official problem inadvertantly highlighted by local agencies and NGOs and in the newspaper.
in 2011 Pantai Cenang and Langkawi has the opportunity to go on the front foot, take the initiative and plan for best possible outcomes or wait for another tragic death and more serious stings to further unnerve jittery tourists seeking sun, sea, wilderness plus safety and assurance.

'Death Jellyfish Roaming The Coast' - Fact or Fiction?

2010-12-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

This is a late post. At least it's not a premature post. The newspapers that carried this story helped light home fires across freezing Sweden weeks ago. Frozen Swedes were booked en masse for winter vacations south to Thailand and Malaysia, almost 10% of the population, that's a lot of newspapers and nightly TV News ratings. This sensational story lingers in the minds of Swedes which is probably not a bad a thing but the problem is, it may not have happened.

Swedish woman Ann Nordh had just enjoyed her daughters wedding at Koh Lanta and was relaxing on the beach one night at Cha-Am with her husband when tragedy struck. Mrs Nordh went in to the water for a swim and sadly died with rescuers failing to resuscitate her. The Swedish media went into a frenzy assuming the killer to be a box jellyfish. A fair assumption but for the facts. Preliminary hospital and police reports showed no signs of a jellyfish sting and it was believed that Mrs Nordh had drowned.

While local tourist operators fearing a backlash wrongly suggested excessive drinking and arguments preceded the tragedy, there is no evidence even at this stage to suggest that a box jellyfish or any other jellyfish was involved in this terrible fatality. This has been comprehensively investigated by public health officals trained in the area of box jellyfish.

Mr Nordh would have been hounded by the media and his Facebook musings suggest as much. But there was no evidence, the Swedish media simply speculated as it would make a good story. No experts were consulted to actually analyse the facts, some experts not even expert in the field of box jellyfish but who happened to be well versed in crustaceans and molluscs were quoted - they may as well have consulted some armchair experts from the numerous online forums where this issue often surfaces.

Full autopsy results are not yet available, it is still possible that a jellyfish was responsible for Mrs Nordh's death, but very unlikely. The Swedish media were informed after the frenzy had subsided but by then of course the damage had been done. In the meantime, visitors and potential visitors would be thinking twice about their holidays. Again, this is probably not a bad thing in terms of box jellyfish awareness; however, this irresponsible approach from the Swedish media could not only unfairly impact on Thai tourism at a time when it needs every solitary baht but undermines the efforts of Thai authorities working diligently to address the problem of box jellyfish in Thailand.

Perhaps it is a wake up call for everyone to look at the facts first and not go half-cocked with half-baked stories aimed to frighten and not arm visitors with knowledge and truth. A few years ago all that existed on this subject was baseless opinion espoused by online forumites many with vested interests, many do-gooders who didn't, and the odd Aussie who knew a thing or two about boxies.

The facts are out there now, visitors are getting clued up, victims are telling their stories, the tourism industry is making changes, government departments are taking action, accurate information is now available, awareness is increasing, precautions are being taken, progress is being made.

Let's not go back to the bad old days of nonsense sensationalism, blatant untruths and dangerous ignorance that put people at further risk. Let's continue to address the issue in a measured, balanced and factual yet firm manner that will continue to create positive change and potentially save an innocent life or many today and down the track. It's critical that facts should tell this story, believe it or not.

Start of the Stinger Season

2010-11-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

In tropical north Australia there is a period where box jellyfish move into coastal areas posing a threat to all water users, this period is during the hot and wet summer months and is called the stinger season. The stinger season runs as a rule between November and March though box jellyfish (stingers) have been sighted all throughout the year. This period is where they are most concentrated and researchers at the James Cook University's TASRU (Tropical Australia Stinger Research Unit) suggest that this season is getting longer.
Research into box jellyfish has been undertaken for decades and is one major reason why Australia leads the way with knowledge and expertise that has seen an effective life saving system of awareness, prevention and treatment implemented across the country's top end.
In Thailand and Malaysia there is nothing in place to even remotely compare with Australia. These countries are utilizing Australian expertise to a point but there are numerous reasons why progress is slow, tourism/hospitality industry resistance is high and the risk to tourists remains the same as it has for many years. No-one knows what the box jellyfish season is in these countries if indeed there is a box jellyfish season at all, perhaps it runs all year?
Many people say that this is Asia so there is inherant risk, it's different to the western world where society perhaps places too high an emphasis on risk and too high a value on the preservation of human life; shit happens they say, bullshit say I! Every human life no matter where in the world is of paramount value, no compromise, no exception!! Countries like Thailand and Malaysia are making vast sums of money from tourism, they promote themselves to families and more are arriving every year seeking an affordable, exotic, culturally rich and relatively safe vacation experience.
So, take responsiblility and do not accept that people will die and be seriously stung and extremely traumatized unexpectedly by a box jellyfish when on holiday when there is a way to increase visitors' awareness and improve safety thus minimizing the risk.
Put some of those profits back into research as Australia has and ultimately save lives, increase the confidence of guests and watch tourism numbers increase - the Great Barrier Reef state of Queensland is a model of this success. The worldwide trend is a dramatic increase in jellyfish numbers. Every time there is a serious or fatal jellyfish sting in Thailand/Malaysia people will panic and potential visitors will seek an alternative destination, get it right now and secure future tourism.
The media in northern Australia is already onto it, unlike Thailand where the media only reports incidents and Malaysia where the media is mute. Australia's media is sending out a reminder, a warning and readers are taking it on board and take precautions as they see fit. This media activity is pro-active and not designed to sell newspapers, it's designed as a community service to save lives.No-one is shoving anything down anyone's throat but no-one is putting their head in the sand and hoping the problem will go away.
Box jellyfish and Irukandji prevention nets are being put in place as I write throughout Queensland and the NT in Australia so that people concerned about the risk can swim in safety - at the height of summer holidays these enclosures are full of children safely enjoying the water.
These nets are specially engineered in consultation with TASRU experts to keep box jellyfish out unlike many of the nets that have been hastily placed around resort beaches in Thailand and Malaysia - these might keep floaters out but boxies are clever and can navigate their way around and through standard nets.
Here are some links to Australian newspaper articles that demonstrate how differently Australia looks at this issue compared to Thailand and particularly Malaysia - the loss of life to an innocent child or adult is one Australia is not prepared to take. There may well be bigger killers in terms of numbers that in Thailand/Malaysia are epidemiologically more significant but when you consider that a life is a life and that that life could well be yours or a loved one then if there is something simple that can be done to prevent it from being taken away then it has to be done, no question!

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/11/05/3058493.htm?site=tropic

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/04/3056695.htm

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/11/01/181381_news.html

Stings Stop Heart and Breathing - Victim on Vacation Survives

2010-10-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

A peaceful swim just off the beach became a serious life or death situation for a foreign tourist at Koh Phangan, Thailand recently when what has been described as a large box jellyfish wrapped its tentacles around the victim's legs.

Within seconds the victim was dragged onto a boat and life support given as the unconscious tourist's heart and breathing had reportedly stopped. A long journey to hospital ensued and morphine administered by doctors seemingly without knowledge of proper jellyfish identification and treatment. As this is a box jellyfish it is the venom that causes the life-threatening symptoms - there is no credible evidence of allergic reaction or anaphylaxis associated with box jellyfish.

The trauma and the scars of this near-fatal incident will remain with the victim for a long time to come. The excrutiating pain and cardiac and respiratory arrests are signature chironex sp. envenomation symptoms though the jellyfish has been identified as carybdeid or single-tentacle (pictured) raising questions about the potentially lethal toxicity of the unknown Thai species. There have been numerous sightings of this type of species in the area around Koh Samui and Phangan recently.

Once more, this type of severe incident is most probably quite rare though even in this instance the report could easily have not been made, it's very likely many victims don't, but no-one knows. Even still, the tropical sea is teeming with jellyfish from sea lice to these big nasties, fortunately contact with the dangerous jellyfish is not common but it does happen. Sea lice are a great annoyance while other marine stingers can and do ruin a holiday. The only way to avoid these is stick to the pool or wear a lycra body suit. The suit stops the sea lice from 'biting' and if this victim had been wearing a suit they would be perfectly fine, probably would have kept swimming oblivious to what might have been.

Demand Information & Action From Thailand & Malaysia

2010-09-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

The only way that Thailand and Malaysia will take this issue seriously is by ALL stings being reported (Bangkok bean-counters and KL accountants love statistics and data - without them nothing ever happens) and for ALL questions on the subject of jellyfish being directed to officials.

Do you have concerns about box jellyfish in Thailand and Malaysia and want to know more? Go to these links and contact the relevant authority and demand answers - it's your right to know and it's their responsibility to provide the utmost care. If you're going to Koh Samui, don't ask the local hotel or resort because you simply will not get an honest or at least accurate reply, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand - Facebook and Twitter - they need to know what is going on and need to keep their guests informed. The Phuket Marine Biology Centre is the premier facility in Thailand and needs to know whenever there is a sting so that they can investigate, same with the Bureau of Epidemiology who look after public health - email them!

Same in Malaysia - contact the tourism authorities, LADA and Kedah are on the pulse at Langkawi, CEMACS is the marine biology centre - contact them if you have any concerns, any queries, any stings to report. Are there any sightings of box jellyfish on Pantai Cenang at the moment? Email LADA and ask them!

This willl only take you a few minutes and if these people are aware then change will happen for the better, faster, and in all likelihood lives will be saved.

THAILAND:

http://www.tourismthailand.org/

http://www.facebook.com/AmazingThailand?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/thailandfanclub

Phuket Marine Biological Centre:

Mr. Wannakiat Thubthimsang
Director
Institute for Research and Development of
Marine and Coastal Resources
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources
51 Moo 8, Sakdidej Rd., Wichit, Muang
District, Phuket Province 83000
Tel. +66 76 391 128
Fax. +66 76 391 127
email: wannakiat@yahoo.com

Ministry of Public Health:

Director

Dr. Ung Chusak

Bureau of Epidemiology, Ministry of Public Health
Tivanonda Road, Nonthaburi, Thailand 11000
Phone (662)590-1734; Fax (662)591-8581
kum@health.moph.go.th

MALAYSIA:

http://www.tourism.gov.my/

http://www.facebook.com/friendofmalaysia

http://twitter.com/tourismmalaysia

http://www.visitkedah.com.my/

http://www.lada.gov.my/index.php?lang=en

http://www.usm.my/cemacs/

If you don't think your government has provided you with enough warning about box jellyfish risks in this region contact your country's foreign affairs and travel department or embassy and ask them to do something such as update travel warnings to their citizens.

TREAT YOUR STINGS, REPORT YOUR STINGS

2010-09-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

It is clear through anecdotal evidence that an unknown number of potential box jellyfish stings are going unreported - meaning that no medical treatment is being sought and no official follow up is being made.
Firstly, if you think you have been stung by a dangerous jellyfish it is vitally important that you quickly seek medical attention - medical clinic, resort doctor, hospital. While often a time consuming process and one no holidaymaker wants to endure, a jellyfish sting of any seriousness must be looked at by a health professional to reduce immediate pain and the threat of further damage.
If a box jellyfish stings you then you would know quickly how bad it was, but if not life threatening it must still be looked at due to the stinging cells entering the body and resultant secondary infections that can cause illness and permanent scarring.
If Irukandji, the potentially life threatening but at the least excrutiating symptoms can be delayed by 20-30 minutes, medical assistance is essential!
Other jellyfish stings can cause horrible wounds and nasty scarring that can be reduced if immediate medical treatment is applied.
Also, by attending a medical facility, a record is created that can be followed up by authorities looking to improve the situation for all swimmers and water users. This data will prove crucial in determining whether the authorities continue to pursue and address the problem of potentially lethal jellyfish in Thai and Malaysian waters. Ultimately, your effort to help yourself could one day save the life of another.

Langkawi Jellyfish Stings - Post Reports Here

2010-07-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

There have been many reports of serious jellyfish stings on Langkawi recently that have been posted on this blog and I thank all who have commented - this is invaluable in getting the authorities to do something constructive soon to help improve the situation and make this beautiful island safer for all.

If you have a story to tell, a report to make or a comment on jellyfish stings at Langkawi could you please do it here on this latest post. If possible can you include date/time, location (what beach), weather conditions, water depth, what happened, what you saw, description of jellyfish, description of tentacles, description of sting (is the mark whip-like in look or is it more like a broad burn or blisters etc), how was the response from locals (life savers, hotels etc), what were symptoms, what was treatment, any medical treatment or hospitalization, how long did the symptoms last, do you have any lasting effects, and anything further you can think of.

There is an email address in the Blog Boxie profile and if who want to leave an email address to be contacted that would be great - we could help each other. boxieblog@yahoo.com

While Langkawi obviously has a very concerning jellyfish problem at the moment, details are not clear as to where exactly most stings are occurring and what exactly is doing the stinging. Pantai Cenang seems to be a hot spot and Irukandji seems to be the culprit. I wouldn't go into the water without a lycra suit if you paid me and actually probably wouldn't go into the water with a lycra suit at the moment full stop

Take care because there has been a death there already this year (at least one as far as we know) and plenty of stings requiring hospitalization - who knows what's round the corner??

Thank you for commenting on your jellyfish stings, your input is very helpful and greatly appreciated!!

Deadly Box Jellyfish in Langkawi Captured Alive!

2010-07-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

Denying that a problem exists is made easy when the facts are suppressed as they were at Langkawi, Malaysia in late January 2010 when 45 year old Swede Karina Lofgren was killed by the sting of a box jellyfish. That denial is a shameful beaurocratic act and an insult to Mrs Lofgren's memory, her husband and family.

A history of denial and concealment is one thing, but photographic evidence is another. While Malaysian authorities - namely public health, tourism, etc - clearly have the upper hand in this department and are completely unwilling to share any information; these photographs emphatically demonstrate that lethal box jellyfish live in Langkawi waters. So it stands to reason that if they exist in Langkawi then they sting in Lankgawi (as jellyfish are want to do) and, yes it might sound catagorically out of left field but hell, these strange old box jellyfish just might even kill people!

No tampering, no doctoring, no photoshop, no camouflaging, no smoke screens, no delete buttons. These illuminating photographs courtesy of Tina Marinis are probably the first of their kind that perfectly identify a few of the lethal species of box jellyfish that live in Langkawi. Technology is such that exact dates and location can be confirmed so without further ado meet one of Langkawi's Chironex type box jellyfish, they of the killing people variety in tropical Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific:

Chironex sp. Langkawi, Malaysia Copyright Tina Marinis 2010

This great image clearly shows the characteristics of the Chironex species and Tina Marinis captured this photograph 12th May, 2010 around 9pm at Telaga Harbour. The jellyfish was estimated to be about 60cm long.

Irukandji Malo sp. Langkawi, Malaysia Copyright Tina Marinis 2010

This tiny creature with its transparent bell and four trailing tentacles is an Irukandji, specifically a Malo species which is also found in Australia and causes all sorts of problems in that country. This Irukandji was first identified in 1999 in Australia and named after American tourist Robert King who was killed by this animal in 2002. The photo was taken at 9.30pm on 15th May, 2010 at Rebak and Tina Marinis described it as having a 30mm bell and 200mm tentacles. Malo sp. is known to cause severe Irukandji Syndrome.

There have been numerous cases of suspected Irukandji Syndrome in Langkawi this year the most recent being 26th June where at least 3 people reported being stung and were hospitalized with typical symptoms.

So, we have victims (fatalities and serious stings), we have personal and eye-witness accounts and we now have photographs. What's missing? An admission from authorities that they are wrong, that they will immediately do what they can to protect the millions of visitors unsuspectingly left exposed in the water, that they will raise awareness at all levels (from the beach to the Ministry), that they will implement strategies of prevention and treatment, and that they will watch this video and subject themselves to a sting like these researchers so as to better understand how their guests to Langkawi will feel if stung!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_Cl_54Qh8
IRUKANDJI SYNDROME VIDEO

Chironex sp. Langkawi, Malaysia Tina Marinis 2010

Thank-you to Tina Marinis for the use of these photographs!

Survivor Langkawi Contestant Stung by Irukandji

2010-06-25T01:53:00.000-07:00

A Swedish production of Survivor, the very-long-running TV series of marooned modern-day mercenaries, has been shutdown at the Langkawi beach site of a severe though non fatal box jellyfish sting.
A female contestant on the series was stung when a large number of Irukandji jellyfish entered the beach area during some inclement weather. Highlighted in the Langkawi Gazette (http://www.langkawi-gazette.com/langkawi-news/1159-the-survivors-after-being-hit-by-dengue-fever-now-stung-by-jellyfish), the victim was stung on the leg and showed the classic symptoms of Irukandji Syndrome including extreme pain with muscle cramps, aching, sweating, nausea and excrutiating skin. A doctor who attended the patient believes that morphine would have been used if available.
Days later the victim is still suffering. The Syndrome is meant to cause further severe pain at around the 2 week mark and many victims speak of ongoing aches and pains for years to come.
There have been instances of Irukandji Syndrome reported in the SE Asia region though general consensus is that local authorities know nothing of it, medical facilities cannot diagnose it and no-one knows how to treat it. It is believed that victims are usually treated for viruses and other ailments then discharged without anyone raising an eyebrow.
This from Wikipedia: "Irukandji syndrome includes an array of systemic symptoms including severe headache, backache, muscle pains, chest and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, sweating, anxiety, hypertension, tachycardia and pulmonary edema. One unusual symptom associated with Irukandji syndrome is a feeling of "impending doom". Patients have been reported as being so certain that they are going to die that they beg their doctors to kill them to get it over with. Symptoms generally abate in 4 to 30 hours, but may take up to two weeks to resolve completely....The severity of the pain from an Irukandji jellyfish sting is apparent in the 2005 Discovery Channel documentary Killer Jellyfish about Carukia barnesi, when two Australian researchers (Jamie Seymour and Teresa Carrette) are stung. Even under the "maximum dose of morphine," Teresa remarked that she "wished she could rip her skin off," and is later seen writhing uncontrollably from the pain while lying on her hospital bed."
Note that the Langkawi Irukandji was not tiny like Carukia barnesi but another bigger unidentified species.
Perhaps when celebrating the survival of the Survivor victim, the cast and crew could dress up in their finest stinger suits and crack a few bottles of vinegar - but that would look silly not macho and sexy, wouldn't it.
Wear suits and carry vinegar! The tribe has spoken.

Weird, Wonderful and Wobbly Box Jellyfish Facts

2010-06-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

"These are fantastic creatures with 24 eyes, four parallel brains and 60 arseholes," decreed Swede vision expert Dan Nilsson from the University of Lund who tells his Box Jellyfish facts as he sees them.

Here, inspired by Dan, are some weird and wonderful Box Jellyfish bits and pieces revealed from top to, er, bottom that could well send you cross-eyed.

Now, arseholes. What Dan lacked in tact was more than made up for with fact, or was it? The Box Jellyfish has a bell or box shaped "head" (medusae) with 15 tentacles attached (via hand-like pedalia) to each of the 4 corners. With reports of 4 anuses (anii? beg your pardon, arseholes) located at the end of every tentacle, do the maths. I've also heard 64 but who's counting??

Each gooey, vermicelli-like tentacle can extend to around 3m/10ft and is covered in millions and millions of nematocysts or stinging cells - 800,000 per sq. cm. These nematocysts are like microscopic harpoons or hypodermic needles that upon contact respond to a chemical reaction and discharge in one of nature's fastest cellular processes generating numbers like: 1 million Gs, 7 billion pascals, 20 micrometres in less than 1 millionth of a second and simply nanoseconds - that's faster than a speeding bullet. So don't look up in the sky. It's lurking below. See for yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJiBc_N1Zk

What's injected would knock a plesiosaur out quicker than it took Jurassic Park III to go DVD. These prehistoric stingers pack the most awesome punch in the animal kingdom, in other words, the Box Jellyfish is the most venomous creature on the planet. It's venom is a cardio/neuro/dermatonecrotic cocktail that's not only injected faster than anything but a fatal dose is delivered to the heart in minutes flat causing blood pressure to plummet and the heart to be forced into an irreversibly contracted state. One adult Chironex fleckeri contains enough venom to kill 60 adult humans and each would suffer an excrutiatingly painful death usually within a few minutes.

Box Jellyfish are swimmers not drifters and can propel their >90% liquid bodies at a speed of around 3 knots. That's 5.5km/h or a very decent human walking pace. Indeed, Box Jellyfish guru Dr Jamie Seymour from James Cook University, Australia states that Olympic swimming Gold Medallist "Grant Hackett would only beat a box jellyfish by three minutes in a 1500 metre race."

While swimming they can 'see' what's in range and manoeuvre around obstacles. They are very fragile and prefer to avoid contact with big things like human legs - particularly during field studies. If they were drifters there may well be many more fatalities. Instead they have eyes - retinas, corneas, lenses - with a 360 degree field of vision and manage somehow to simply process images and navigate at speed to hunt their prey and avoid unwanted contact...sound like anyone you know?

Aforementioned Australian marine scientist who specializes in Cubozoans claims that Box Jellyfish sleep. Tagging and monitoring revealed that the jellyfish kipped down for an afternoon nap at 3pm and hardly twitched a tentacle before rising with always blurry eyes to hunt for breakfast at dawn - prawns and fish are particular favourites.

Box Jellyfish breeding is as you'd expect truly bizarre. It is understood that they breed in mangroves and estuaries with each big Box Jellyfish having the potential to produce around 1.5 million offspring in its life that spans only a matter of months. The offspring settle as polyps on a substrate such as roots and rocks then asexually reproduce, budding and budding to create more polyps - often triple the original amount.

Predators have little impact on numbers (they're eaten by endangered Hawksbill and Green turtles, some crabs and tentacle-nibbling fish) so population is food limited. Nutrification and pollution in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia enrich the sea heightening plankton load thus creating the perfect environment for Box Jellyfish to flourish.

And if you thought they are just blobs of primordial goo floating aimlessly anywhere you're not, you should think again. It's expected that you will see more of them and hear more about their impact on our behaviour.

Oh, and, no - there have been no studies undertaken in the area of Box Jellyfish flatulence, yet; but if there were unquestionably Dr Jamie would jump head-first at the opportunity and Dan would say fart.

Thai Box Jellyfish Officials On Koh Samui

2010-05-18T02:12:00.000-07:00

The following is a link to a great scuba diving blog I saw today that perfectly demonstrates how the Thai government is actively working on the ground (or beach as it were) with locals, ex-pats and tourism representatives to create a way forward in box jellyfish awareness and safety.

http://www.pa-divingidc.com/2010/05/jelly-box-fish-thai-work-group-visiting.html

This is very encouraging and shows that the issue is taken seriously and should be taken seriously because innocent lives (no matter how many) are at risk. If something can be instituted to facilitate saving a life and potentially many lives over the oncoming decade, then every reasonable step should be taken to ensure that positive change is made.

Here is the article just in case you are unable to use the above link thanks to Camille Lemmens' fabulous scuba diving blog that takes an informed, common sense and responsible approach to marine safety :

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Jelly box fish Thai work group visiting Koh Samui

Today I went to see Dr. Lakkana Thaikurea and Dr. Potjaman Siriarayapon who were on one of their work visits to Koh Samui, were they presented their findings of their research into box jelly fishes around Thailand and in this particular case, around Koh Samui.

They work for the Ministry of Public Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology and they have also been in Australia and spent good time in Melbourne with John Lippmann, the CEO of DAN Asia Pacific and Andrew Jones, a journalist who's working on establishing awareness for box jellyfish, after his 4 year old son got stung in Koh Mak during a holiday in Thailand a couple of years ago. During their recent stay the Thai work group did meet all of the Northern Queensland experts on box jelly fish.

Their work in Thailand involves travelling around the country and collecting stories and data. They conduct seminars with health officials and provide training in box jellyfish safety and prevention. This area is one they are wanting to develop much stronger over the next 12 months.

Their work fits perfectly in my postings about the presence of box jelly fish in Thai waters out of which the link mentioned together with Andrew Jones' son above actually is the most visited post on this blog!

Back to the Thai team though, their work so far has included two stages and the first stage of getting proof that there are box jellyfish in Thai waters, in which they succeeded and the consequent recognition of problems that accompany this fact followed by the education to deal with this problem has been closed.

Now they are starting up phase 2 of their project, which is to set up a network around Thailand for surveillance and prevention.

Anybody interested, please feel free to get in touch with me and I will pass on your information to the right persons. Action is needed and each and every action you take may be of importance and will be helpful and appreciated.

Let me introduce the main players to you;

Dr. Lakkana Thaikurea; Advisor and Supervisor, she's an associate professor at the Medicine Faculty of the Chiang Mai University and has plenty of publications and research to her name. She has two blogs related to education and awareness of projects that she works on, including this box jelly fish project; this one is in Thai and English and this one is in Thai only.

Dr. Potjaman Siriarayapon; Advisor of the research and she works as an medical epidemiologist at the Bureau of Epidemiology, Ministry of Public Health.

She's very nice and interested in anything related to this project and much very in tune with the realities of this project and very sympathetic to the cause. She’s a very interesting person who has given box jellyfish a high priority considering Thailand has so many diseases and public health issues to deal with.

Dr. Rochana Wutthanarungsan; Principle investigator of the phase 1 research

Khun Punnarai; Project coordinator

Anybody interested in this topic, please don't hesitate to get in touch, it's highly appreciated.

Let's try to get awareness of box jelly fish in Thailand out there.

Camille

The World's Most Venomous Animal Is Thailand's Box Jellyfish...

2010-04-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

The title is not really fair on Thailand.
Box Jellyfish know no borders and live throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Lists tabling 'The World's Most Venomous Animal' or 'The World's Most Poisonous Creature' go a long way in perpetuating the myth that the most lethal Box Jellyfish is solely Australian owned and made. Australian snakes and spiders and marine creatures have a notorious reputation making them a hugely popular topic in school projects and a major point of discussion when planning a holiday. For all the right reasons Chironex fleckeri sits on top of the list but Chironex is as much of a problem if not more so for a suite of South-East Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia.
The Chironex Box Jellyfish in Thailand and Malaysia and the Philippines and Indonesia is proven and documented to kill a human in a matter of seconds - the same as the Chironex in Australia. Specimens and images show that they are all Cubozoan/Chirodropid/Chironex type species.
The difference appears to be that Australia addressed their lethal Box Jellyfish problem decades ago in an effort to save lives, stem the flow of injuries, improve safety on the beaches, etc.
Learning about the animal in their own backyard brought its potency to the world's attention and somehow gave Australia ownership while the same animal kept going about its business in South-East Asia without any attempt by 'home' countries to learn about it and make any changes. People kept getting killed and seriously injured as they still do today but the ramifications were and are nowhere near as profound as in Australia. 'What are a few deaths here and there when malaria and motorcycles kill 1000s and 1000s?'
With the resources at their disposal and a lucrative tourist industry to protect, Australia may well 'own' the Box Jellyfish whether they like it or not but they have negated its potentially devasting effects by properly managing the problem and running a concerted safety and awareness campaign with successful prevention and treatment programs and strategies that have dramatically cut the number of fatalities and near-fatal stings while watching tourism numbers grow and grow.
Perhaps the baton should be passed to Thailand or the Philippines or any number of other countries in the region. Their Chironex Box Jellyfish is estimated to kill more people in one year than have ever been killed by the Australian Chironex Box Jellyfish in that country's recorded history!
Maybe the only fair answer is the World's Most Venomous Animal is the Indo-Pacific's Chironex Box Jellyfish with fatalities in many countries including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Chironex Captured in the Gulf of Thailand

2010-03-26T04:01:00.000-07:00

If it was a Great White Shark there would be fear and panic. If it was a ruthless pirate there would be shock and horror. If it was a deadly algal bloom there would be alarm and trepidation. But there was not a ripple, not a murmur, not a blink when the planet's most venomous animal responsible for an estimated 100-200 human deaths in South-East Asia every year was officially for the first time captured on a tourist beach in the Gulf of Thailand.
Sharks account for around 5 deaths worldwide a year. Piracy leads to approximately 15 deaths worldwide. Harmful algae contaminates shellfish and fish with the toxins killing a handful of people every year. Yet an animal that kills 100s of innocent victims in a matter of seconds with the most lethal and fast-acting venom known to humankind is more or less dismissed.
The Chironex Fleckeri Box Jellyfish is the Australian chirodropid with the bad reputation and it has relatives that are equally infamous spread around the Indo-Pacific - a photo of the Thai cousin features in this blog. Up until now the Thai Chironex had not been caught. Well not knowingly or officially at least. No-one in an official capacity had caught one yet no-one in an official capacity knew how to catch one with the right knowledge, right equipment or right techniques. Clearly, they're out there as the type and number of stings testify but proof in the physical form had not been achieved.
Within the first phase of dragging nets at a tourist beach at Koh Mak a Chironex type Box Jellyfish was captured and formally identified. It didn't take long. In fact it was so easy that it makes you wonder how a catch and identification had not previously occurred.
The significance of this catch can not be denied. Many in the Thai government, many in the tourism and hospitality industries and many ex-pats keen to keep Thailand as they want have refused to accept that this lethal marine stinger exists in their 'own backyard'. And many even in the medical and scientific areas do not believe that this animal is venomous enough to kill rather its victim is physiologically flawed and suffers a fatal allergic reaction when stung. Wrong!
It is time for everyone to face the truth. A Chironex-type Box Jellyfish has been captured in Thailand. Strong scientific evidence conducted over decades in countries like Australia that is universally accepted as true proves that a Chironex-type Box Jellyfish has highly lethal venom that kills humans in a matter of seconds. Thailand and the region have a history of fatal and near fatal jellyfish envenomations proven by experts to be caused by the stings of Chironex-type Box Jellyfish.
The next step is determine where they are exactly, how many there are, patterns of behaviour and other indicators that can help implement an effective plan of safety and awareness. If you go for a swim or a snorkel or a dive in Thailand would you rather be informed if there is a risk present and if so be advised how to prevent or treat stings should they occur, or would you rather be left in the dark? Bet you you'd like to know if there was Great White Shark just off the shore, if there was a cut-throat pirate in your longtail boat, or if your spicy fish was spiced with poison!

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда
注意泰國的致命的水母
の致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Big Test For Little Koh Mak

2010-03-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

There is not much in the way of meaningful data available on the Box Jellyfish situation in Thailand or any other country in South-East Asia. It is believed by many well versed in Box Jellyfish research that numerous stings - both fatal and near-fatal - go undetected due to victims not reporting to a medical facility, not being required to get a death certificate, cultural and religious restraints, misdiagnosis (apparent drowning or heart attack) and lies (apparent drowning or heart attack).
On the little Gulf island of Koh Mak no-one is sure exactly how many Box Jellyfish stings have occurred but there have been 3 serious envenomations documented on the exact same beach in a period of just over 2 years - all involving children and 2 involving cardiac arrests requiring resusitation and hospitalization.
After the first sting occurred the locals including resort operators decided not to respond and did absolutely nothing in the way of warning guests of the potential risk.
A few days later the second more serious sting occurred, no signs were on the beach and no warning was given to the victim's family so an informed decision on the risk could not be made. The resort owners in effect were playing Russian Roulette with the lives of their guests, they were negligent in their duty of care.
Even after the 2nd sting no effort was made by Koh Mak islanders to address the situation - no acknowledgement that some form of warning must be issued to visitors. A classic case of a head in the sand, ignorance is bliss bad attitude.
Well, Koh Mak islanders got the shock of their lives when surprise-surprise another serious sting occurred in March and thankfully, miraculously, everyone was spared a fatality due to the quick, calm action not of a Koh Mak islander but of a Swedish fireman.
But hang on. Still no sign. Still no warning. Still no acknowledgement that 'HELLOOO!!! There are Box Jellyfish at this beach!!' That same day, the next day, and the next and so on, there were no signs anywhere. The Governor of Koh Mak (who just happens to own the Koh Mak Resort which is where all the stings are occurring...) and the tourist association placed their livelihoods ahead of that of their guests - there is something seriously wrong with this picture.
Enter Thailand's public health officers who obviously put the hard word in a gentle Thai way on the power brokers of Koh Mak - who also realized that they were getting very bad press in Sweden and other places. They have responded by claiming to finally want to put some things in place to make their island safer. It is understood that warning signs and first aid boxes containing vinegar will be set up on the beach. While nothing is confirmed and no details about what beach or how many beaches are available, this appears to be a very positive step that if correctly implemented will one day save a life.
Congratulations Koh Mak on finally being big about doing a little something to help the very people who prop up your island's economy and your healthy bank balances. The big question is, can you sustain it if in a few months time or even a few years time no stings are reported?

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда
注意泰國的致命的水母
の致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Severe Stings to Swedish Girl on Koh Mak

2010-03-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

A 9 year old Swedish girl is lucky to be alive after receiving serious stings from what is understood to be a Chironex-type Box Jellyfish. Holidaying with family on the Gulf island of Koh Mak located in the Koh Chang group in Trat province, Ida Rosenberg according to reports in ScandAsia, Aftonbladet and Phuketwan was splashing around close to shore when her parents who were snorkelling heard her agonizing screams.

A Swedish fireman acted quickly bringing Ida to shore, removing long thread noodle-like tentacles (not recommended but a natural instinct) and calling for vinegar. The girl was quickly unconscious and suffered cardiac arrest due to the highly toxic venom. The fireman, Anders Brunzell, kept working with CPR while the vinegar was applied and Ida regained consciousness. She was taken by boat to Trat hospital and is now well having survived her near-fatal ordeal but has sustained severe scarring on her leg.

Photos Aftonbladet

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда

注意泰國的致命的水母

の致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Swim For Your Lives - Malaysia Puts Langkawi Ironman Triathletes At Serious Risk

2010-02-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

Ironman, tourist or local; when stung by the world's most venomous animal - the Chironex-type Box Jellyfish - we are all the same and could be just as dead as the next person in a matter of seconds.
Malaysian authorities recently covered up the death of a Swedish tourist stung by a jellyfish at Langkawi and attributed cause of death to drowning, now deceitfully these authorities in collusion with resort owners and other businesses with vested interests are concealing the facts from Ironman officials and the world's leading triathletes currently in Langkawi to kick off Ironman 2010.
While previous competitions have according to the PR blurb gone successfully, who is to say that this annual event that comes under the international sporting medias spotlight will continue this way. For the competitors and Langkawi's sake I hope it does.
The reality is that in the water where these triathletes are swimming there are potentially deadly Box Jellyfish - if not right there, they are there abouts.
Cairns in tropical north Australia has a well documented and well managed Box Jellyfish presence. Unlike Langkawi, there is a fairly well defined season that runs from November - May. The local triathlon clubs - as well as the local swimming and surf clubs - DO NOT schedule any events in the sea during the season claiming it is simply common sense as there is a real chance that someone will get stung.
Is a life worth less in Langkawi? Of course not, it is ignorance and greed and irresponsibility that drives the authorities to ignore the threat and put the competitors lives at risk.
If the competitors were aware of the presence of Box Jellyfish would they enter the race? It doesn't happen in Cairns when jellyfish are around because it is widely acknowledged that the sea is unsafe. Alternatives are arranged such as rivers, lakes and pools. The competition continues year round.
Malaysian authorities think they can sweep the death of a humble tourist under the carpet and know that the family will probably be too traumatized to follow it up, know that that they have the power to conceal all evidence and know that other right-minded Malaysians concerned about the trickery can easily be rendered mute; but, what if there is a high profile death such as that of an international Ironman competitor and the media gets hold of it?

Thai Marine Scientist In Australia During Box Jellyfish Drama

2010-02-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

The Chief of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre and Aquarium (www.pmbc.go.th/webpmbc/RE/ and http://www.phuketaquarium.org/) recently visited Australia on a Box Jellyfish fact-finding mission sponsored by the Australian government and he couldn't have timed his visit any better.
Dr Somchai Bussarawit managed the Thai government's premier marine reseach facility that also has 5 satellite centres around the country and has been leading Thailand's scientific efforts since the issue of the Box Jellyfish menace rose to prominence in late 2008.
Scheduled to visit Box Jellyfish and Irukandji hot spots at the height of the season while involved in detailed scientific study, practical experience and broad discussions; Dr Somchai began his tour visiting the Australian Venom Research Unit (http://www.avru.org.au/) located in the University of Melbourne where Director Dr Ken Winkel and Divers Alert Network Asia Pacific (http://www.danasiapacific.org/) Exec. Director Mr John Lippmann covered issues relating to safety, education and research. He had intensive taxonomic training with Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin (National Marine Stinger Advisor in Australia) and a look at how Australia approaches medical care and treatment with Dr Peter Fenner (http://www.marine-medic.com.au/) in Mackay before joining Manager of Uninet Enclosure Systems (http://www.uninet.com.au/), Kim Moss, for some practical fieldwork in the Cairns/Port Douglas region.
While there was little sign of Irukandji, Dr Somchai caught his first Chironex fleckeri Box Jellyfish that he proudly displays in the embedded photo (photo by Kim Moss) then proceeded to capture numerous others as specimens for the PMBC.

During Dr Somchai's visit a 10 year old girl was stung by a Chironex fleckeri near Gladstone (the southern most point where they are thought to inhabit on the eastern Queensland coast) though strangely 23km upriver on the Caliope River. She was badly stung and went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. Quick thinkers at the camp ground doused her with vinegar and she was rushed to meet an ambulance, her parents performing CPR along the way. In an induced coma for several days the girl barely and very luckily survived.
Dr Somchai's eventful trip was well received by all concerned and the various centres across Thailand are benefitting from his experience and implementing plans and procedures to better understand and manage Thailand's Chironex-type Box Jellyfish.
In March several senior Thailand medical officials involved in the area of epidemiology and active in researching their country's Box Jellyfish situation will also visit Australia courtesy of the Australian government to meet with experts and similarly transfer this knowledge to their country's experience.

It is vitally important to note that these visits are a significant yet small step in the right direction for Thailand which has an incredibly long way to go before effectively managing their Box Jellyfish problem - Australia for example has about 40 years head start. As is evidenced by this photo above (photo by Kim Moss) and systems in place throughout a vast area including beaches and schools, Australia is sophisticated in its response to the threat of Box Jellyfish while in Thailand there might be the odd sign - probably defaced - tucked away at the back of a beach or two and that is it.

In Thailand like with so many things the onus remains on the individual to take due care - carry your own vinegar and wear a stinger suit.

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда

The Langkawi Lie - Malaysia Treats Tourists With Contempt!

2010-02-13T04:27:00.000-08:00

Malaysia is at it again. Another day, another cover-up, another threat, another round of bullying and intimidation. While they are not alone in the region, Malaysia takes the moral high ground in many areas and purports to be a fair player in South-East Asian affairs. Well something so simple as a truthful, open and honest finding in the death of Swedish woman Carin Lofgren killed by what her husband described as a classic case of Box Jellyfish envenomation was obviously too difficult.
Read this article in Phuketwan, read the quotes from the poor husband who witnessed the horrific death of his wife, read the comment from the paramedics and shake your head in sheer disbelief seeing a post mortum conducted by Malaysian authorities concluded cause of death as drowning!
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/alarm-box-jellyfish-kills-tourist-langkawi-12107/
This outrageous, offensive and completely disrespectful finding is clearly designed on the premise that ignorance is bliss so as to not draw attention to Langkawi's Box Jellyfish problem and scare away tourists - of which around 2.5million visit each year.
The Phuketwan article states that the Swedish Embassy in KL confirmed the circumstances of the death prior to the official finding being made public BUT when I enquired of them after the finding they changed their mind and could only confirm that a Swedish citizen had died.
"Free" tourism-focused media on Langkawi and a major resort on the island taking the initiative and looking to warn guests of the potential danger were forced through hateful, threatening means to keep quiet while any comments looking to criticize the finding were not published through fear of recrimination.
So how many have actually been killed by Box Jellyfish on Langkawi? The official figure since the mid-90s is 3 tourists (odd how no locals ever seem to get killed?!) but if the Malaysian authorities go so far as whitewashing this clear-cut case it's a reasonable guess that there are more that have not been accounted for - not to mention stings that have caused near-fatal injury.
I've not been there but I'm told it is text book Box Jellyfish habitat with murky water, sandy bottom beaches and mangroves.
If considering a holiday in Langkawi can I suggest that you abandon the idea and go somewhere like Thailand instead where at least officials have learnt from similar mistakes and are now taking positive, active steps to ensure the safety of their citizens and the visitors who contribute massive amounts of money to the local economy. Don't feed the lie!

Swedish woman in Langkawi killed by Box Jellyfish

2010-02-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

Langkawi island lies in the Andaman Sea on the border of Thailand and is one of Malaysia's hottest tourist destinations. In late January 2010 Langkawi experienced its 3rd reported and confirmed Box Jellyfish fatality in 13 years when a 45 year old Swedish woman tragically passed away only seconds after being stung. Sympathies to the poor family.
Carina Lofgren from Smaland, Sweden was travelling with her husband and several other family members through Thailand and Malaysia. Their last night in Malaysia was meant to end with a fun night swim but instead ended disastrously when at around 11pm Carina walked through the shallows towards the shore and let out a horrible scream - like a 'stuck pig' said her husband.
She collapsed within seconds and her family rushed to her aid where it is understood they pulled tentacles from her body while taking her onto the beach. A first aid-trained family member performed CPR. An ambulance was called. 15 minutes later the paramedics arrived but she was pronounced dead at the beach.
It seems that no-one applied vinegar, the only chance of effectively stopping the stinging. Perhaps there was none available. Maybe they did not know that vinegar was the right treatment. Was there no-one around that late in the resorts and hotels that line Pantai Chaneng that had the knowledge to grab some vinegar and douse the stings as quickly as possible?
Knowing what to do in case of an emergency such as this horrible tragedy is not difficult, there are just a few simple points and a need to have an inexpensive bottle of vinegar stored safely nearby to the beach. It's easy and everyone working in hospitality in this region should be aware of emergency treatment and ensure that visitors too are familiar with what lives in the sea they're swimming in, what the risk is and how to avoid the danger.
So in less than 2 years 2 Swedish nationals, a young girl and middle aged woman, have been killed by Box Jellyfish in the Andaman Sea only 150kms apart. This region is immensely popular with Swedes who swarm to the southern islands for a tropical bliss out every northern winter. There clearly are Chironex-type Box Jellyfish in the area and it is highly likely that there will be more and more stings occuring.
While technically in Malaysia, Thailand is so close and so similar to Langkawi that this sting resonates throughout the region. The circumstances of the death are textbook but unfortunately the treatment wasn't and it would be shocking to think that she could have survived if the family members had known not to remove the tentacles seeing they inject more venom when touched and had splashed her with vinegar as soon as she came onto the beach. It is only speculation but is a distinct possibility. If the stings were very bad nothing would have saved her.
Sadly as the number of deaths start to add up, the governments in Thailand and Malaysia plus the hotel and tourist associations need to realize that the locals working in hospitality on the beach must be Box Jellyfish-aware, must know where the vinegar is and must know how to use it.

Raising Awareness, Lowering The Odds

2009-12-22T03:46:00.000-08:00

I read recently that the American National Safety Council state that the odds of dying over the period of one year due to an air/space transport accident are 1 in 500,000.
I gather this is in the USA only and includes ultra light and light aircraft, helicopters, balloons, military etc - all pretty high risk - on top of commercial airplanes.
So I would think that this brings the likelihood of being killed in a commercial flight down dramatically.
Yet, passenger safety on a commercial flight is paramount and tried and true systems are in place for all passengers to openly engage in and follow in case of an emergency. Knowing the plane could fall out of the sky at any moment causing instant death does not deter millions from flying.
Parallels could be drawn with lethal Box Jellyfish where the odds of being killed are not great - we'll have to get Thailand's NSC onto the stats!! - but it does occur and the results are devastating so similarly there should be systems and processes in place to minimize the risk...as there is with fire safety plans in office buildings and as there is with tsunami warning systems along the coast.
We know that there are potentially lethal jellyfish in Thailand's waters, we know that people receive near-fatal and fatal stings and we know that if it keeps going tourism will potentially be severely hit everytime a death occurs until visitors vote with their VISA cards and go for a swim somewhere safer like Fiji, Bali, the Caribbean, etc.
So while a risk exists it is important for all concerned that the truth be made public and that the public be given the best opportunity to survive in case of the inevitable emergency - and with Box Jellyfish it is easy: vinegar available on the beaches (in a pole or station, or the front bar of a resort/hotel/restaurant, or carried by the individual), locals including resort staff be made familiar with the first aid treatment and individuals take responsibility and wear lycra stinger suits - particularly innocent children who through the habits of both the Box Jellyfish and the child have much, much higher odds of being killed.
Here are photos of a vinegar station at Broome in West Australia's famous and very popular Cable Beach which doesn't stop loads of people enjoying the water their every day. At least they know what to do just in case.

What Is The Likelihood of Being Stung By A Boxie?

2009-12-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

It would be easy to say that the chances are 'slim'! So while the chances of getting stings from a deadly Box Jellyfish in Thailand or anywhere for that matter are relatively rare, it is estimated that around 100-200 people are killed by Box Jellyfish in South-East Asia every year. It is also estimated that there are countless numbers of near-fatal, serious and damned painful stings using the well researched Australian model as a guide AND if you are stung the chances of being killed couldn't be higher.
The tropical sea is a wild place full of weird, wonderful and seriously dangerous animals that you are exposed to everytime you step foot into the water, though that doesn't mean you're going to see them all or be confronted by a dangerous beast.
In Thailand there are thousands and thousands and thousands of human lives tragically ended on the roads - buses, trucks, cars and particularly motorbikes are massive killers in Thailand. The same can't be said about deadly Box Jellyfish where it is conservatively estimated (as previously expressed) that a figure in the 10s or possibly more die annually.
However, this doesn't make it any less significant as 1 life is as precious as anything.
At least on the road in Thailand we can make an informed decision and choose to a degree how and when we travel to minimize the risk. I see inexperienced farang motorbike riders without helmets fanging through traffic and think 'statistic'.
Similarly, at somewhere like Koh Mak I look at the environment and think 'Boxie'.
While the risk is minimal it is very real and while not a big problem in terms of volume the problem couldn't be bigger if you are stung by a Box Jellyfish. Wrong place, wrong time, the end.
Minimizing the risk even further is simple by wearing a lycra stinger suit when in the water and saving a life is greatly improved if vinegar is immediately splashed on the stings.

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда
注意泰國的致命的水母

の致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

What Does A Box Jellyfish Look Like?

2009-12-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

A few hundred metres off the shore of Klong Dao beach on Koh Lanta, a hardened old fisherman pulled in the prawn net that had drifted behind his long tail boat for 20 minutes. There were no prawns but there were plenty of transparent jellyfish about the size of an adult fist.
The fisherman carefully pulled them from the net holding the bell or head and pointed to the tentacles indicating a cut across the skin and severe pain.
A few months earlier I'd witnessed the devastating effects of a serious Box Jellyfish sting on human life but did not see the Box Jellyfish and here on the longtail boat I saw small jellyfish that looked unremarkable.
Weeks later I learned that those jellyfish were Cubozoan or Box Jellyfish. A few weeks later Thai marine scientists also 'discovered' these Box Jellyfish then suddenly the world 'discovered' the same Box Jellyfish.
The truth is they didn't just appear, washed up with the current or from a ship's balast, it is understood that they have been in Thai waters for a very very long time.
Sometimes if you don't know what to look for or if you aren't looking in the first place or perhaps just don't want to look, you won't see a thing.

As you can see from the pictures , Chironex-type Box Jellyfish are more or less transparent and very difficult to see particularly if the water is somewhat murky.
They swim very quickly, as quick as the average human, and possess a primitive form of vision that senses light and shade and enables them to manoeuvre around rocks, coral and human legs - they prefer not to make contact as this potentially damages tentacles...all they want is a little fish or prawn.
There are 2 types of Cubozoans being Carybdeid (single tentacle Box Jellyfish - Morbakka, Irukanji etc) and Chirodropid (multi tentacle Box Jellyfish - Chironex, Chiropsalmus etc) with both types very present in Thai waters and both packing a seriously nasty sting.
Keep an eye out when you're in the water as one may well be looking back at you. If you do happen to see one steer clear as it will attempt to do if it has time and make sure you email me with the whereabouts!

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда

注意泰國的致命的水母

致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Habitat - Where Are They?

2009-12-05T02:57:00.000-08:00

Exactly where deadly Box Jellyfish specifically live in Thailand's waters is at this stage a bit of a mystery - much like the number of stings and the number of fatalities. No-one is sure.
There has never been any serious research in Thailand to gather data on deadly Box Jellyfish though the few times that fatalities have been attributed to a Box Jellyfish sting, some form of investigation has occurred though usually it doesn't last and isn't followed through.
Thankfully this is finally changing due mainly to pressure on tourism and potential damage to the industry when another official fatality occurs. It is believed that there is anywhere between 1 - 10 deaths in Thailand per year due to Box Jellyfish predominantly in indigenous communities. Determining cause of death in Thailand can be a hit and miss affair and drownings particularly could be caused by stings though this in all likelihood would not be reported - a sting on Chaweng Beach in May 2009 had typical linear lesions but the doctor put it down to 'allergic dermatitis' while I know of one fatality where the police forced a death certificate on the bereaved partner of the victim claiming drunk drowning, in Thai!
Government medical officials are investigating the societal impact while marine scientists are learning all about the animals - processes are being put in place to better manage the problem but this is just the beginning and there is a long way to go.
So, where are they? Sampling of strategic areas is being undertaken to find this out. At the moment there is the Australian experience with the deadly Australian box jellyfish Chironex Fleckeri but it appears as though the situation is somewhat different in Thailand with the Australian Chironex's cousin looking slightly different and living in a different land/seascape and conditions. It's also different in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor and New Guinea.
My profile photo is of Thailand's Chironex-type Box Jellyfish swimming 50 metres offshore in clear water on a damaged coral reef at Koh Samui's famous Chaweng Beach - a beach that has produced several serious stings and a fatality in 1999. This is not typical of Australian habitat as reef's are usually no-go areas but perhaps they've adapted differently here.
Normally a lethal box jellyfish will hunt for small fish and prawns in shallow sandy bottom beaches within close proximity to a river or creek mouth/estuary. The water is often somewhat cloudy and from all reports you cannot see the jellyfish who are almost transparent. The beach at Koh Lanta where Moa Bergman died in 2008 is typical as is the Koh Mak beach where Lewis Jones nearly died late-2007 - I would not swim at either without a stinger suit!! No way!!!
Numerous people claim never to have seen a Box Jellyfish in Thailand - divers who've worked the waters for 10 years, visitors who return time and again. The truth is they are out there but they are incredibly difficult to see and tend to breed in non-touristy areas before dispersing though no-one knows at this stage where they come from. In Hawaii for example their box jellyfish arrive in a very predictable lunar-determined timeframe but no-one knows from where exactly they come.
So, while people may claim not to have seen them it comes as no surprise and does not mean they're not around. We know they are because they are stinging people in both the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea.

Stay tuned as we discover more about Thailand's most venomous creature.

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда
注意泰國的致命的水母
致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Prevention & Treatment - The Boxie Basics

2009-12-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

The bottom line with Chironex-type Box Jellyfish and other dangerous Cubozoans including Irukandji is that they are to be avoided at all costs. The problem of course is that this is not always possible seeing the former while big is virtually transparent and the latter is absolutely tiny (10mm). Bumping into one - as they don't attack - is the most likely form of contact.
The best way to avoid contact is to cover up when in water's known or suspected to be habitat and while regular clothing could do the job, it usually flops around in the water and provides openings for tentacles and tiny animals.
As mentioned in a previous post lotions and creams have not been proven to protect against lethal box jellyfish but what has been successfully scientifically tested is stinger or lycra suits.
Full length stinger suits provide excellent coverage and protection from stinging tentacles and harmful UV rays. The tentacles find the lycra 'distasteful' and the animal soon peels off without firing stinging cells (nematocysts).
Stinger suits have dramatically reduced stings in tropical Australia where they are becoming increasingly common on beaches during stinger season (Oct to March).
Fashion and ego is a problem as many think they look ridiculous and hinder a suntan. Few Europeans starved of sunshine would prefer to wear a stinger suit while on the beach of a beautiful tropical island in Thailand but the truth is they don't need to.
All they need to do is wear as little as they like while lazing or playing on the sand then when they want to enter the water they slip a suit on - much like a diver would - swim safely and upon exiting remove the suit and continue working on that trophy tan. Too easy!
In Australia this practice is becoming second nature while even in cooler temperate areas of the country families are wearing lycra shirts and long boardshorts to protect from the sun. It's a habit that caught on quickly and ultimately became a fashion statement courtesy of Quicksilver, Billabong and Co - the same could easily come of stinger suits.
Even if you think you don't need to wear a stinger suit in Thailand at least put your children in one as it protects from all jellyfish, sea lice and of course the sun.
There's a lot to say about stinger suits and marine biologists have written scientific papers on them - I'll get around to posting these one day - but suffice to say, take care - take a stinger suit.
Nets in Australia are also excellent prevention but there are none in Thailand - they're not cheap and take a bit of work...perhaps one day soon a big resort will set one up and start a trend.

Treatment for a box jellyfish sting is actually quite simple - vinegar! I'll go into it in more detail later but all you really need to know is, carry a bottle of vinegar with you when at the beach or on a boat and if a sting occurs splash the sting liberally - do not touch or remove or scrape the tentacles (why later...) - and keep splashing for a few minutes until the stinging cells are neutralized and can sting no more.
Perform CPR if required and keep going then seek medical attention.

остерегайтесь! Всемирное самое смертельное животное - медуза коробки Таиланда
注意泰國的致命的水母
致命的なアンドンクラゲに注意してください
حذار لتايلند المربع القاتل "قنديل البحر"

Safe Sea Lotion NOT PROVEN Against Big Boxies

2009-12-02T03:21:00.000-08:00

A product now on the market in Thailand is Safe Sea which claims to prevent jellyfish stings. Its been around for 10 years or so and is very popular in the USA. Its developer Nidaria is based in Israel and tested the lotion on several species of jellyfish mainly it seems in Florida and Japan.

While Safe Sea according to some studies (detailed on that company's website http://www.nidaria.com/) demonstrates a certain level of efficacy with certain species of jellyfish, NO testing has been undertaken on the world's deadliest animal that is reponsible for numerous deaths in Thailand and hundreds worldwide, the chironex-type box jellyfish.

The product is being marketed in Thailand by a company called Oceanline who throughout their advertising refer loosely to the Box Jellyfish while mentioning fatalities and showing images of stings. The danger is that this is misleading and could provide a false sense of security with their customers while at the same time undermining the efforts of the Thai government and others working towards better prevention and treatment methods.

Safe Sea is popular and may well help prevent stings of some jellyfish and other marine stingers however it is not proven on Thailand's killer jellyfish and if there is no scientific evidence then it should not be relied on.

Following is some dialogue between a team of box jellyfish experts including myself and Nidaria that should shed some light on this issue and note it's a reasonably lengthy read:

Dear nnnnn,

We have been following the recent renewed correspondence about the proposed marketing of Safe Sea in Thailand. As you are aware, there are a group of us, including some well-known medical and marine biological jellyfish experts, who have been closely monitoring the situation with dangerous jellyfish in Thailand and we are all very concerned about the introduction of Safe Sea at this point in time.Let us re-state some important facts:

1. There is definitely at least one variety of potentially lethal box jellyfish found in Thai waters. This includes the Chironex species as well as other chirodropids, currently unidentified, but probably just as venomous . There is absolutely no doubt about this as we have received good photographic evidence of these jellyfish, and have extensive evidence from numerous cases over more than a 20 years of the distinctive scarring caused by the stings of these particular jellyfish.

2. There have been numerous documented deaths caused by jellyfish in Thailand over many years: we currently have an article in print with details of a number of documented deaths and “near-misses”. The death of the Swedish girl last year was certainly not an isolated case, although to date it was the one that received the broadest media attention. We also have a steadily increasing number of case reports of life-threatening stings, including those with permanent scarring as well as those producing Irukandji syndrome.

3. Substantial experience from northern Australia over many years has shown the importance of effective prevention strategies. To date these have included the wearing of protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education. As a result, despite the presence of large numbers of dangerous jellyfish at certain times of the year, there are very few serious stings.

4. The Safe Sea may have been shown to be an effective barrier to the stings of certain species of jellyfish. However, it appears that there is absolutely no evidence that it is effective in the prevention of stings from life-threatening box-type jellyfish, especially Chironex.

5. We are further concerned that even if Safe Sea should someday be demonstrated to be “as effective” for Chironex-type box jellyfish as it claims for other species (i.e., 75% efficacy, in reducing the frequency and severity of stings), this is still unacceptably high for otherwise unprotected exposure to lethal species. In light of the above, we consider it to be irresponsible and dangerous to promote an unproven product in an area where the consequences of using the product could prove fatal. It is likely that tourists and Thai locals would be lulled into what could well be a false sense of security by using Safe Sea instead of taking preventative measures that have proven to be effective. Severe stings or deaths occurring without added protection of these preventative measures we suggest could have ongoing consequences.

Receiving FDA approval from Thailand does not indicate that the product is effective against Chironex-type box jellyfish stings and can be misleading in this context.For all the above reasons we implore you to refrain from marketing Safe Sea in Thailand until such time that it has been independently demonstrated to be effective against the potentially lethal species found there and it is established that this product effectively prevents envenomation when interacting with these species.

Sincerely,
John Lippmann OAM, Executive Director DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN) ASIA-PACIFIC
Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin, Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services
Dr Peter Fenner MD (London), DRCOG, FACTM, FRCGP Box Jellyfish expert
Dr Ken Winkel, Director Australian Venom Research Unit
Andrew Jones Father of jellyfish sting survivor

Direct Marketing email from Oceanline (sorry pics not attached showed stinger suits and nets in their worst possible light while a blonde Scandinavian looking girl of around 10 years smiles and swims next to an image of chironex stings of victim possibly deceased):

As you are probably aware, the number ofjellyfishworldwide is increasing dramatically. InThailandalone we find beaches infested with jellyfish more than ever before.
The tentacles of all jellyfish sting, but fortunately most stings only cause minor problems. There are however also some verydangerousjellyfish out there. In Thailand many accidents with jellyfish have been reported which led to beach resorts in Thailand being instructed to carryvinegaras a first-aid treatment (you might remember the sad story of the Swedish girl who was killed by a box jellyfish in November last year).
Protect your customers, yourself and your family from painful jellyfish stings!
There are 3 kind of protections available on the market:
Stinger Suits
Safe SeaJellyfish Sting Protective Sun Screen Lotion
Swimming Nets
-waterproof-
Our company,OceanLine, is proud to be the exclusive distributor in Thailand of the revolutionary productSafeSea2-IN-1 Sunscreen Lotion with Jellyfish Sting Protection!
SafeSeaLotion was developed through 10 years of bio-technological research, partly funded by the US Navy and the United Nations. Worldwide it is the only lotion that was tested in FDA certified hospitals and proven to be effective against jellyfish stings (test results on file). Safe SeaLotion has been available in America, Europe and some Asian countries for some years already.
The Health Ministry of Thailand and the Phuket Marine Biological Center are in the process of raisingawarenessof the dangers of jellyfish stings. OceanLines SafeSeaLotion is already available at some hotels, supermarkets, dive and surf centers and we aim to have it available in all major beach tourist areas in Thailand in the near future.
http://www.oceanline.asia/"
Address: 84 Taina Road, T.Karon, A.Muang, 83100 Phuket - Thailand
Tel: 076-330640 Fax: 076-330544

Dear all

Thank you for your concern and studious monitoring of the jellyfish situation and its potential threat. Please allow me to introduce Nidaria technology and its clinical research as well as the benefits of the use of Safe Sea in Thailand. Following this letter I trust that you will agree that Safe Sea is a very important safety measure among the various systems protecting bathers from jellyfish sting. Your collaboration with Nidaria in "providing safety in the ocean" would be highly appreciated.
Nidaria technology was established by marine biologists specializing in stinging mechanisms and jellyfish venom systems. Our scientific work was published in Nature magazine (attached) and was the first to define a path way to isolate Jellyfish sting to polypeptide primary structure. With the use of antibodies we were able to understand the Nematocyst (Jellyfish sting mechanism) toxin delivery systems. This work was heavily funded by the UN (United Nations). Further research in the US allowed the development of jellyfish stinging cell inhibitors and the blocking affects of different compounds on stinging cell discharge. This scientific work paved the way for the development of Safe Sea "Sunscreen that provides protection from jellyfish sting at sea".
This concept was clinically tested for the first time at Hospital against Rhopilema in 1999. During the Years 2002 - 2004 the US Navy and US Ministry of Defence sponsored a set of clinical field tests to evaluate Safe Sea on a world wide scale. These tests were conducted in Stanford hospital and other leading medical centres worldwide. Under this project Safe Sea protection against jellyfish sting was tested against more than 10 different types of stinging Jellyfish, including 4 types of box jellyfish; amongst others Charybdea and Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, a close relative of Chironex and known by its common name in Japan as HABU Kurage (Zootaxa, 2030: 59-65 (2009)).
Further to these tests the product was tested in field tests at the ocean by the University of Minnesota, providing very good results (attached). Today Safe Sea is being sold all over Europe, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and the USA, providing good protection for millions of beach goers around the globe. Safe Sea’s claims was recognized and reviewed by the US FDA, EU authorities, Japanese Ministry of Health and other regulatory agencies.
Below you’ll find (in blue) Nidaria’s comments to your concerns. Nidaria would be happy to provide more information to demonstrate that Safe Sea provides safety at the beach. We have been following the recent renewed correspondence about the proposed marketing of Safe Sea in Thailand. As you are aware, there are a group of us, including some well-known medical and marine biological jellyfish experts, who have been closely monitoring the situation with dangerous jellyfish in Thailand and we are all very concerned about the introduction of Safe Sea at this point in time.
Let us re-state some important facts:

1. There is definitely at least one variety of potentially lethal box jellyfish found in Thai waters. This includes the Chironex species as well as other chirodropids, currently unidentified, but probably just as venomous . There is absolutely no doubt about this as we have received good photographic evidence of these jellyfish, and have extensive evidence from numerous cases over more than a 20 years of the distinctive scarring caused by the stings of these particular jellyfish.
Jellyfish stings in Thailand are a problem. It is estimated that out of the 14.5 Million tourists coming to Thailand resorts each year, about Six Million are going to enter the sea and may experience jellyfish stings of varying degrees.
Several protection options are available for tourists:
1. Regular Sun care or bare skin without any protection at all.
2. Using Safe Sea, a sunscreen that reduces the number of stinging cells that would penetrate the skin by 90%.
3. Using safety clothes.
4. Use safety clothes as well as Safe Sea.
Knowing the situation and the use of sunscreen at the beach, it is expected that the biggest portion of the tourists would select option 1. Options 2, 3 and 4 would be selected by those who are seeking more protection at sea. It is unlikely that all tourists and beach goers in Thailand would protect themselves from Jellyfish sting, however, every convenient and proven protection would reduce the risk of jellyfish sting. Offering a sunscreen with protection of jellyfish sting would benefit those who want to have the freedom of "being at the ocean with bathing suit"
2. There have been numerous documented deaths caused by jellyfish in Thailand over many years: we currently have an article in print with details of a number of documented deaths and “near-misses”. The death of the Swedish girl last year was certainly not an isolated case, although to date it was the one that received the broadest media attention. We also have a steadily increasing number of case reports of life-threatening stings, including those with permanent scarring as well as those producing Irukandji syndrome.
The death of the Swedish girl was very frustrating information for me. I have spent some time in Okinawa discussing child deaths due to Habu Kurage stings with MDs. They all confirmed that if 10% of the child’s body is covered with Habu kurage tentacles the situation can become life threatening. After testing Safe Sea against Habu kurage it can be concluded that risk of death due to exposure to that jellyfish can be reduced or eliminated by the use of Safe Sea. The likelihood of death for a child is dependent on the quantity of venom that penetrated the skin due to the discharge of stinging cells. It is expected that unprotected skin would be exposed to 2000 stings per square millimetre. Using Safe Sea, which inhibits jellyfish sting mechanism, would reduce the stinging cell penetration to 100-400 stings per square millimetre. This would reduce venom penetration quantities and the likelihood of death. In other words, in the case of kids, like the Swedish girl, the use of Safe Sea can mean the difference between life and death.
3. Substantial experience from northern Australia over many years has shown the importance of effective prevention strategies. To date these have included the wearing of protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education. As a result, despite the presence of large numbers of dangerous jellyfish at certain times of the year, there are very few serious stings.
It is clear that "protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education" can reduce the threat of jellyfish sting.
Knowing that the last child that lost his life was from Northern Australia, the advance system to protect from Jellyfish stings in that territory cannot eliminate jellyfish stings 100%. Even in Northern Australia and elsewhere in Australia many people experience jellyfish stings and can benefit from the use of Safe Sea.
The Northern Australia systems are not available in Thailand. Moreover, uneducated tourists visiting Thailand are mostly not willing to wear protective clothing. For this demographic Safe Sea has great added value and protective measures against jellyfish stings.

4. The Safe Sea may have been shown to be an effective barrier to the stings of certain species of jellyfish. However, it appears that there is absolutely no evidence that it is effective in the prevention of stings from life-threatening box-type jellyfish, especially Chironex.
Please find below a partial list of the tests that were done to demonstrate the protection level of Safe Sea against Jellyfish stings.
Ø Stanford Hospital (USA, CA). Efficacy of "Safe Sea lotion" in preventing Chrysaora jellyfish stings in normal volunteers.
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects".
Ø University of Minnesota, USA. A randomized, controlled field trial for the prevention of jellyfish stings with a topical sting inhibitor
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of tested material in preventing Mediterranean Rhopilema jellyfish sting in normal volunteers
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). Efficacy of tested material in preventing jellyfish sting in normal volunteers after seawater exposure (water resistant).
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects.“
Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Chrysaora sting.
Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Box jellyfish sting Charybdea rastonii Haeckel.
Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Blue botle jellyfish sting Physalia
Ø Kio Planing (Japan) Testing protection level of Safe Sea against Box jellyfish sting Chiropsalmus quadrigatus.
Ø Bert Fish Medical Center (USA, Florida). Efficacy of “Safe Sea Lotion” in preventing Chiropsalmus jellyfish stings in normal volunteers.
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects."
Ø RAMBAM Hospital (Israel). "Evaluate of the tested material to prevent skin irritation induced by Rhopilema Nomadica jellifish sting on Human Subjects".
Ø Germany, Cream formulations protecting against cercarial dermatitis by Trichobilharzia.
The list includes 3 different types of Box Jellyfish, including Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, which was recently identified as Chironex (Zootaxa, 2030: 59-65 (2009)).
5. We are further concerned that even if Safe Sea should someday be demonstrated to be “as effective” for Chironex-type box jellyfish as it claims for other species (i.e., 75% efficacy, in reducing the frequency and severity of stings), this is still unacceptably high for otherwise unprotected exposure to lethal species.
On the Thailand Safe Sea bottle it is specifically stated that the product has not yet been tested against Chironex and claims to "helps to prevent stings” (Not prevent). In the warning it is written that Jellyfish can be dangerous and it is not recommended to go into water infested with jellyfish. This claim is standard and complies with global standards of the USA, Europe and Japanese regulatory recommendations.
Again, in Thailand the choice is not between "protective clothing, suitable netting, appropriate signage and education" OR the use of Safe Sea...

For tourists in Thailand, the choice is between:
Safe Sea protective lotion or no protection at all!
In most cases Safe Sea can provide a relaxing and sting free vacation and in some cases can even be a life saver. Therefore, in Thailand, the use of Safe Sea is highly recommended.
In light of the above, we consider it to be irresponsible and dangerous to promote an unproven product in an area where the consequences of using the product could prove fatal. It is likely that tourists and Thai locals would be lulled into what could well be a false sense of security by using Safe Sea instead of taking preventative measures that have proven to be effective. Severe stings or deaths occurring without added protection of these preventative measures we suggest could have ongoing consequences.
Again, Thailand’s beach resorts do not have safety nets. Not all tourists are educated with regards to jellyfish threats. Most tourists would not be too keen to wear protective clothing. Saying that, if I had to buy sunscreen for vacation in Thailand, Safe Sea would be my best option.
More importantly, using Safe Sea instead of regular sunscreen can save lives. Saying that everyone should stay behind nets and wear protective clothing is unrealistic in Thailand.
Nidaria does not see the use of Safe Sea as a recommendation to jump into water infested with jellyfish. We do not promote Safe Sea as Jellyfish proof.
In some way the use of Safe Sea is like driving with a safety belt… driving with a safety belt is not a recommendation to have an accident but it reduces the risk of injuries. Receiving FDA approval from Thailand does not indicate that the product is effective against Chironex-type box jellyfish stings and can be misleading in this context.
Safe Sea label was listed and reviewed by the USA FDA, UK and Japanese Ministry of Health. The Safe Sea label was reviewed by the EU community, sold under the brands of several multi national pharmaceutical companies, got approval from French AFFSAPS and is being used by the Israeli and other navies worldwide. Safe Sea has a PZ No. from the Pharmaceutical Association in Germany and is approved for sale in Sweden and Norway. Safe Sea is confirmed with UK standards as well as Italy, Austria, Holland and many other territories. The label of Safe Sea was carefully written to explain the performance of this product as well as its limitations and its benefits. Millions of users on a worldwide scale are satisfied from Safe Sea’s performance and experience a sting free vacation.

Nidaria is going to hold an academic seminar (November 29th until December 5th) on jellyfish stinging mechanisms at the Red Sea laboratory of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We would be happy to meet and discuss with the respective teams the benefits of the use of Safe Sea in preventing jellyfish stings.
I feel that organizations like DAN should promote the use of Safe Sea as one of the best preventative measure against jellyfish and Sea lice stings.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you need more information.

Best Regards
Dr. Lotan

Dr. Lotan
Nidaria Technology Ltd.
Zemach, Jordan Valley, 15132
Israel
http://www.nidaria.com/

Subject: Safe Sea - NOT PROVEN against deadly box jellyfish

Hello,

In response to concerns about Safe Sea, a lotion that claims to prevent jellyfish stings, the developers of this product have issued a statement in Thai and English.

This statement in any language DOES NOT address the concerns of jellyfish experts in Thailand and Australia currently working together to reduce box jellyfish stings and improve safety in Thailand.

It is important to note that there are numerous species of box jellyfish that are all different in some way and testing one with this product DOES NOT guarantee that all species will respond the same way.

In Thailand as in Australia, the lethal box jellyfish that is directly responsible for numerous deaths is a chironex-type box jellyfish. Safe Sea has NOT been tested on chironex-type box jellyfish.

Repeat, Safe Sea has NOT been tested on Thailand’s deadly chironex-type box jellyfish.

The marketing of this product in Thailand by a company called Oceanline uses a recent chironex-type box jellyfish tragedy to sell bottles of its lotion:

Oceanline promotional direct marketing - “There are however also some very dangerous jellyfish out there. In Thailand many accidents with jellyfish have been reported which led to beach resorts in Thailand being instructed to carry vinegar as a first-aid treatment (you might remember the sad story of the Swedish girl who was killed by a box jellyfish in November last year).Protect your customers, yourself and your family from painful jellyfish stings!”

Oceanline also uses images of victims of chironex-type box jellyfish.

This is misleading and potentially very dangerous.

The developer of this product, Nidaria, claims that chironex is a close relative of the box jellyfish this company tested (did the testing show 100% proof anyway? No.) though in scientific terms this means absolutely nothing. There is NO scientific evidence to say that Safe Sea protects against Thailand’s deadly chironex-type box jellyfish. None!

As was pointed out recently by jellyfish expert in envenomation prevention Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin; a Physalia (Portuguese Man o War jellyfish) in Thailand and Physalia in Australia respond differently to the application of vinegar (one is neutralized, one is activated), a clown fish covered by the goo from one anemone will be an easy victim for another anemone, and as is stated in Nidaria’s testing results Safe Sea works better for the Chiropsalmus quadrumanus than for the Chrysaora quinquecirrha.

Can you assume that Safe Sea will prevent the sting of a lethal chironex-type box jellyfish and will ‘testing’ be inadvertently conducted by families holidaying in Thailand?

Nidaria’s response to the experts’ concerns claims and cites many things but NEVER DEMONSTRATES any form of protection against the potentially deadly sting of the proven killer in Thai waters, the chironex-type box jellyfish.

Ask yourself why in the wake of the official lethal box jellyfish warnings issued in Thailand that Safe Sea suddenly appeared on the market and why is it that Safe Sea’s developers have not tested their product on lethal box jellyfish.

Safe swimming, diving, snorkelling and best regards,

Andrew Jones, Father of chironex-type box jellyfish sting survivor
John Lippmann OAM, Executive Director DIVERS ALERT NETWORK (DAN) ASIA-PACIFIC
Dr Peter Fenner MD (London), DRCOG, FACTM, FRCGP Box Jellyfish expert
Dr Ken Winkel, Director Australian Venom Research Unit

Make up your own mind - Boxie Blogger