Jelly Fish

Travellers are often surprised that more people are killed each year by jellyfish than sharks.

Jellyfish are dangerous because of their lethal stingers that cause life threatening allergic and venomous reactions.

Jellyfish have actually proliferated and benefit from global warming and pollution as they drift into new waters.

Jellyfish are very simple creatures with a nervous system attached to tentacles. Their tentacles will discharge on contact with potential prey. They don t go looking for people but drift along and bump into people with the rolling surf.

Beached jellyfish may also accumulate on beaches and still remain dangerous on the sane. This coincides with areas where families and small children play in the surf.

Not all jellyfish are equally potent- some have mild or no venom while others such as the “Portuguese man o war” and the “Sea wasp” have a very lethal sting. Lifeguards in Australia even carry antivenom in their stations for severe poisonings.

Jellyfish tentacles and other marine stinging organs contains hundreds of thousands of stinging cells which are activated by physical contact between prey or human skin and these cells. These cells contain shafts and tubules that inject poison into the skin causing pain, redness, and rash.

What to do if bitten.

The majority of stings cause local irritation and a visible track where the tentacle stung may be seen.

Vinegar inactivates the poison of some species.

Do not use fresh water to rinse off a tentacle as this may trigger it (jellyfish live in salt water and a change in salinity will trigger a release of toxin).

Urinating on a wound is no longer recommended (to everyone's relief).

After the basic first aid is taken care of people should see a local doctor who will know more about the species of jellyfish locally.

Sometimes swimmers will also be exposed to jelly fish larvae that are mere hatchlings and can get caught under swimming clothes. This gives a rash where the jellyfish larvae were trapped between the skin and the clothing causing a condition called sea bather's eruption. This is not dangerous but itchy and annoying.

A new product Safe Sea lotion contains a patented mix of chemicals that mimic the protective coating of the Clown fish, which uses jellyfish tentacles as shelter in nature and is immune to being stung. This e combination of chemicals prevents the stinging cells from recognizing your skin as prey and the stinging reflex is never triggered. This product is being used to prevent sea bathers eruption and hopefully lethal jellyfish stings.

The best protection remains avoidance – staying out of the water where known jellyfish are and wearing a dry suit to prevent a barrier against stings. A wet suit or body board suit will prevent stings but still allow sea lice to get under the skin

Taking prompt action and seeking medical attention when an unknown sting occurs can treat life-threatening allergies.

Special thanks to Dermatolgist, Dr Richard Haydey for his help in researching and presenting this topic at the recent Clean water meeting at the University of Manitoba