A girl has been positioned in an intensive care unit in Sicily after shedding consciousness attributable to what was most certainly a sting by a Portuguese man o' warfare, a marine protozoan identified for its lengthy, venomous tendrils.
The pinnacle physician of Catania's San Marco hospital stated the girl suffered from exhaustion, respiratory difficulties and extreme cardiac arrhythmia -- all signs brought on by the damaging marine creature.
Quoted by Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, Benedetta Stancanelli stated the "lesions on the again and on the legs recommend that this will likely actually be a sting by a Portuguese man o' warfare".
The incident occurred because the sufferer was swimming off the Cyclopean Isles, a couple of kilometers off mainland Sicily.
The lady, who reportedly had underlining situations, was rushed to intensive care a couple of hours after having fainted following the malicious encounter.
What's the Portuguese man o' warfare?
Named after the 18th-century Portuguese warships, the Portuguese man o' warfare -- or simply man-of-war (Physalia physalis) -- is a venomous sea predator categorized as "harmful" within the World Well being Organisation's tips for protected leisure water environments.
Though it's not often lethal -- with some three deaths which were attributed to the ocean creature -- its sting is excruciatingly painful and poisonous.
Its tentacles can attain as much as 30 meters and trigger signs starting from "native pores and skin necrosis to neurological and cardiorespiratory issues" resulting in demise, researchers say.
Though it intently resembles a jellyfish, it isn't. It's a "colony of a number of small particular person organisms with specialised jobs". It would not transfer by swimming however makes use of winds and currents as an alternative.
How widespread is it within the Mediterranean?
Consultants say that the variety of sightings within the Mediterranean Sea seem to have grown in recent times, typically dramatically. However the enhance in sightings might also be attributable to developments within the area of analysis, they imagine.
In 2010, a lady in Sardinia died after an anaphylactic shock believed to have been brought on by its tentacles. Once more, the girl appeared to endure from underlining situations.
What to do when you're stung by it?
Soak the affected areas in sizzling water (42˚C), Australian authorities recommend, and apply chilly packs and a pain-relieving cream. Lesions should not be handled with vinegar -- and tentacles ought to solely be eliminated with tweezers or a gloved hand.
Post a Comment