Op het eerste gezicht lijkt dit een vrij overijverige opschaling, maar als je kijkt naar het
persbericht waarin men melding maakt van de Dinoflagellaat Alexandrium Ostenfeldii en je zoekt wat verder dan blijkt dit een vies beestje te zijn:
Samenvatting: het gaat om een micro-organisme dat zich ophoopt in schelpdieren (wat eten ze in Zeeland graag?) waardoor mensen bij het eten van de schelpdieren vergiftigd worden en bij voldoende inname vrij rap dood kunnen gaan.
Toxicity: There has long been some doubt as to the toxic potential of this species (Balech 1995; Hansen et al. 1992). Because A. ostenfeldii does not form monospecific blooms, it has been difficult to determine this species' toxin producing potential. A. ostenfeldii, however, is capable of producing
paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) toxins; albeit, it is the least toxic of all the Alexandrium species tested for PSP toxins (Cembella et al. 1987; 1988). This species has been associated with shellfish poisoning in Scandinavia (Jensen & Moestrup 1997), and one report of mussel Toxicity (as Pyrodinium phoneus) has been reported from Belgium (Woloszynska & Conrad 1939).
Recently, a study of aquaculture shellfish from Nova Scotia, Canada, revealed the presence of spirilides, fast-acting neurotoxins, primarily produced by western Atlantic strains of A. ostenfeldii (Cembella et al. 2000).
Hansen et al. (1992) conducted studies with a tintinnid ciliate exposed to high concentrations of A. ostenfeldii: results were erratic swimming behavior (backwards) followed by swelling and lysis of the ciliates.
Bron:
http://botany.si.edu/references/dinoflag/Taxa/Aostenfeldii.htm----
What is paralytic shellfish poisoning?
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a serious illness caused by eating shellfish contaminated
with algae that contains a toxin harmful to humans. When this algae increases to high numbers in
marine waters, the condition is sometimes (and somewhat erroneously) referred to as a "red
tide". PSP can occur without a “red tide”.
What are the symptoms of PSP?
Early symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of
eating poisonous shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop. Depending upon the amount of
toxin a person has ingested, symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss
of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing. Some people have experienced a
sense of floating or nausea. If a person consumes enough poison, muscles of the chest and
abdomen become paralyzed.
Death can result in as little as two hours, as muscles used for
breathing become paralyzed.
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/pdf/201006_shellfish.pdf