Sea wasp sting

Background

Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as sea wasp

Large form of box jellyfish, found mostly off the coast of northern Australia to the Philippines

Extremely deadly, often considered one of the most poisonous jellyfish

Identification: Often difficult to distinguish in environment, as animal is transparent. Pale blue bell, often the size of a basketball, with 15 tentacles emerging from lower corners up to 3 meters in length. Has been described as having an eerie similarity to a human skull

Tentacles contain millions of stinging cells known as cnidocytes

Clinical Presentation

Sting is extremely painful, described as burning, and can cause death as quickly as 3-5 minutes

Most stings are mild and are self-limiting

Deaths most commonly occur in children

Venom causes cells to become leaky, causing hyperkalemia

Management

See Box Jellyfish - Management https://wikem.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish

References

Fenner, P. J. (2000). Chironex fleckeri – the north Australian box-jellyfish. marine-medic.com

Fenner PJ, Williamson JA (1996). "Worldwide deaths and severe envenomation from jellyfish stings". The Medical Journal of Australia. 165(11–12): 658–61.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/jellyfish-venom2.htm

http://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/sea-wasp

--Jonathan KDMC Theriot (talk) 02:32, 6 August 2017 (UTC)