Texas’ Toxic Coastal Critters

1. Texas’ Toxic Coastal Critters Red Tide Gambierdiscus toxicus Vibrio vulnificus Meridith Byrd Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Recreational Boaters Workshop May 28, 2009

2. What is red tide? Alexandrium sp. bloom Penn Cove, Coupeville, WA www.serc.carleton.edu Noctiluca sp. bloom, Southern California Karenia brevis bloom, Charlotte Harbor, FL www.fiu.edu

3. Texas Red Tide: Karenia brevis • Dinoflagellate • single-celled algae • plant and animal traits • two flagella (locomotion) • 15 μm in length (2000 per inch) Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute San Jose Island Oct 3, 2006 photo courtesy TDSHS

4. Texas Red Tides • 8 major red tides since 1986 • 60 million fish killed • 2006 most recent bloom • Major blooms in late summer or fall • start in the Gulf, currents transport bloom to shore • Once inshore can last days to months • Ship channels • Estuarine areas • Manmade harbors • Subdivision canals • Jetties Port Mansfield, 1999

5. North Padre Island 2006

6. San Jose Island Matagorda Island Cedar Bayou Mustang Island Padre Island Aransas Bay Redfish Bay Mesquite Bay Corpus Christi Bay 22% gulf menhaden 21% Atlantic bumper 14% worm eel 11% gulf whiting 9% mullet 8% pinfish / pigfish 7% ladyfish 5% Atlantic croaker 3% hardheads, red drum, snook, sand trout, jacks, snapper, others 2006 Red Tide Fish Kills

7. Where does it come from? Resident population in Gulf of Mexico. Low salinity (20 ppt) Cold water (59o F) What causes a bloom to end? How often do blooms occur and why? Florida: yearly Texas: ~5 years Padre Island Oct 5, 2005

8. October 13, 2005Corpus Christi Bay Water discoloration easily seen from the air.

9. commons.wikimedia.org Brevetoxin • Neurotoxin: damages or destroys nerve tissue • enters through fishes’ gills • attacks central nervous system: paralysis • accumulates in fishes’ organs • seabirds, dolphins, turtles • accumulates on seagrasses • green sea turtles, manatees TPWD photo www.nepa.gov

10. Brevetoxin in shellfish • concentrates in filter-feeding shellfish (oysters, mussels, clams, whelks) • toxin levels can remain elevated for weeks to months • toxin heat-stable, NOT destroyed by cooking • Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning • lips, tongue go numb or tingle • GI symptoms • dizziness • reversal of hot and cold sensations • Fish and crustaceans do not typically cause NSP

11. Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) • Responsible for seafood safety. • Criteria for bay closures: • Cell counts > 5000 cells per liter • Anydetectable levels of toxin in shellfish • Reopening bays can take weeks to months after red tide has dissipated Maryland DNR photo TDSHS photo

12. Brevetoxin: Human Health Effects • Aerosols cause: • skin irritation • coughing • sneezing • itchy, watery eyes • runny nose • wheezing, shortness of breath • Symptoms depend on: • Cell concentration • Wind direction • Wind velocity • Wave action

13. Calm day: lessened symptoms Rough surf: severe effects even with low cell numbers

14. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hab/redtide

15. www.dshs.state.tx.us/seafood/default.shtm “seafood”

16. Red Tide BrochureTo report a suspected red tide:281-842-8100512-389-4848(TPWD 24 hr line)

17. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: a New Concern in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico big thanks to Tracy Villareal, UTMSI and Andy Reich, FL Dept of Health

18. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning • seafood toxicity that produces gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms • can be fatal • most cases are less severe although recovery may take weeks to years • has no laboratory test - it is a diagnosis of exclusion • over 400 species of tropical fish reported to be ciguatoxic Halstead, 1967 slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

19. Early European explorers reported sickness from eating fish 1511 Atlantic Ocean 1601 Indian Ocean 1606 Pacific Ocean after Halstead 1967 Typically associated with coral reefs on islands Outbreaks are poorly understood Multiple routes through food web to predators (Kelly et al. 1992) slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

20. Harmful Algal Bloom Food-borne Illnesses Documented FATALITIES Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) Ciguatera Venerupin Shellfish poisoning (VSP) Clupeoid Fish Poisoning REALLY UNPLEASANT (no known fatalities) Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

21. Some of these: abdominal pain vomiting diarrhea nausea 1 of these: slow heartbeat numbness, burning, or pricking around the mouth, sensation of temperature reversal Have you had ciguatera?Fish eaten, followed by these symptoms within 72 hours AND http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ciguatera/instructions.htm slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

22. ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS • extremity numbness • tingling, pricking, burning, or creeping on the skin • pain in the joints, muscle pain • malaise (not feeling right) • itching • headache • dizziness • metallic taste • visual disturbances • toothache, feeling of loose teeth slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

23. Ciguatera: Poorly Understood • 50,000 - 500,000 people affected annually around the globe (Fleming et al. 1998) • significant under-reporting • difficulties confirming cases and no laboratory test • CDC estimates only 2%-10% cases reported in the US • 32% of MDs in a ciguatera-endemic area (Dade County, FL) could not diagnose it • only 17% knew the correct treatment (McKee et al. 2000) • 95% of the medical costs associated with algal toxins in the U.S. are due to ciguatera slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

24. Case study: 1999Amberjack served in a Chicago restaurant led to a cluster outbreak of 21 cases only 2 were diagnosed with ciguatera Diagnoses included • allergies • multiple sclerosis • rheumatologic diseases • dental abnormality Specialists in urology, infectious disease, rheumatology and odontology had been consulted. slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

25. Ciguatera in the Gulf of Mexico • Few documented cases, no public perception of a threat • Fish migration behavior a factor • toxin possibly acquired elsewhere, transported seasonally • Significant human activity in the Gulf is altering habitat, particularly in the northern Gulf • no oil production platforms before 1942 • now there are about 4000 • possibly the largest artificial reef complex in the world. • Historically tied to island complexes, not continental shelves • Gambierdiscus toxicushas been found on platforms along the continental shelf slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

26. Rigs, Coral Reefs, Artificial Reefs G. toxicus - Present on platforms and Sargassum fish migrations www.aslo.org Coral reef Artificial Reef Oil rig Villareal et a. 2007 slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

27. 2007: change in type of ciguatoxic fish and number of cases • A highly publicized case in Galveston, TX created a local media frenzy • Other cases started to surface: TX-AL • Increased awareness slide courtesy Tracy Villareal, UT Marine Science Institute

28. FDA Advisory: Feb 5, 2008 Within 50 miles of Flower Gardens Within 10 nautical miles of Flower Gardens amberjack barracuda king mackerel yellow jack horse-eye jack blackfin snapper dog snapper marbled grouper hogfish gag grouper scamp yellowfin grouper

29. Ciguatera Fish Advisory

30. Ciguatera Brochure slide courtesy Andy Reich, Florida Department of Health

31. The genus Vibrio • Naturally-occurring bacteria • ~ 3 dozen species Not all cause illness in humans • Oceans, brackish water worldwide • Warm temperatures V. cholerae V. parahaemolyticus V. vulnificus slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

32. Vibrio vulnificus • Occur naturally in warm coastal waters • Levels highest April-October • Accumulates in tissues of filter-feeding shellfish • oysters, clams • does not affect appearance, taste, odor • food poisoning if raw or undercooked • Can infect wounds • Serious consequences in at-risk people slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

33. Gastroenteritis (food poisoning) • Occurs after consumption of contaminated food, particularly raw oysters • Vomiting, diarrhea, cramps Wound infection • Occurs after a wound comes in contact with seawater containing V. vulnificus • Swelling, redness, pain • Often requires surgical debridement, amputation Primary septicemia • Occurs following either of above syndromes • Fever, chills, skin lesions, drop in blood pressure, shock • 50% of cases are fatal slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

34. At-risk population includes those with: • Liver disorders (hepatitis, alcoholism, cirrhosis) • risk of death is 200 times greater than those without • Diabetes • Immunocompromising conditions • HIV/AIDS • Cancer • Autoimmune disorder (lupus) • Hemochromatosis (metabolic iron disorder) • Gastric surgery or take antacids for ulcers slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

35. People without any risk factors • May develop short duration gastroenteritis 1 – 3 days after eating affected shellfish • May develop skin infection 1 – 3 days after having wound contact with saltwater • Do not develop septicemia • Have no long-term consequences • Infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics, if detected early enough slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

36. Persons who are at risk: • Should never eat untreated raw oysters • Could eat post-harvest treated oysters • “Processed to reduce V. vulnificus to non-detectable levels” • high pressure • high temperatures • freezing temperatures • Should not go in salt water with an open wound • Are 80 times more likely to develop bloodstream infections than healthy people (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) The infectious dose for V. vulnificus is not known slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

37. WARNING: The next slide shows graphic pictures of wounds infected with Vibrio vulnificus slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

38. Examples of wound infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus. slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

39. To Avoid Infection: • Do not contact seawater with open wound. • If you do, wash wound thoroughly with soap and water. • If wound becomes red or inflamed seek medical treatment. • Do not delay seeking treatment. slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

40. Meridith hi

41. Vibrio infections in Texas

42. V. vulnificus Infections in Texas • Average about 12 cases per year • Summer consumption of Gulf coast raw oysters • Some wound infection, septicemia cases • 8:1 male/female ratio for V. vulnificus infections • more males eating raw oysters, fishing? • Average a few deaths per year • Almost all from V. vulnificus • Virtually all have one or more risk factors for V. vulnificus infection slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

43. V. vulnificus Infections in Texas • Many cases likely not reported • food poisoning, minor infections • Case counting by TDSHS depends on: • Ill person seeking medical attention • Health care provider must: • obtain specimen for culturing • suspect Vibrio • request specific test • Laboratory detecting agent in specimen if present • Laboratory or health care provider reporting to local or state health department • Numbers of reported cases rise with public awareness slide courtesy Kirk Wiles, Texas Department of State Health Services

44. FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.safeoysters.org Sea Grant Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Kirk Wiles 512-834-6757

45. TPWD HAB website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hab Meridith Byrd 361-575-6306 meridith.byrd@tpwd.state.tx.us