Human intoxication with paralytic shellfish toxins: clinical parameters and toxin analysis in plasma and urine

This study reports the data recorded from four patients intoxicated with shellfish during the summer 2002, after consuming ribbed mussels (Aulacomya ater) with paralytic shellfish toxin contents of 8,066 n 61.37 mg/100 gr of tissue. Data associated with clinical variables and paralytic shellfish toxins analysis in plasma and urine of the intoxicated patients are shown. For this purpose, the evolution of respiratory frequency, arterial blood pressure and heart rate of the poisoned patients were followed and recorded. The clinical treatment to reach a clinically stable condition and return to normal physiological parameters was a combination of hydration with saline solution supplemented with Dobutamine (vasoactive drug), Furosemide (diuretic) and Ranitidine (inhibitor of acid secretion). The physiological condition of patients began to improve after four hours of clinical treatment, and a stable condition was reached between 12 to 24 hours. The HPLC-FLD analysis showed only the GTX3/GTX2 epimers in the blood and urine samples. Also, these epimers were the only paralytic shellfish toxins found in the shellfish extract sample.

Simultaneous presence of Paralytic and Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in Mytilus chilensis samples collected in the Chiloe Island, Austral Chilean Fjords

The study shown here provides the first indisputable evidence that shellfish can be contaminated with Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) and Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins during the summer season in the Southern Chilean fjords. Quantitative analysis of the simultaneous presence of PSP and DSP toxins in Mytilus chilensis samples collected in the Chiloe Island are shown. The High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis with pre-column derivatization method for DSP toxins and the post-column derivatization methods for PSP toxins, both with fluorescent on-line detections, showed that both type of toxins were concentrated by the filter bivalve Mytilus chilensis in amounts above the international safe limits. The phytoplankton analysis showed the presence of both Alexandrium catenella and Dinophysis acuta in the water column. The data shows stratification of the toxic dinoflagellates in the water column, since the lowest amount of both DSP and PSP toxins were measured in the superficial and deeper levels of the water column. Moreover, the highest toxicities of both types of toxins were shown by the shellfish samples collected at a depth of 6 meters with 190 nanograms of DTX-1 / gram of digestive gland and 709.8 mg of PSP toxins / 100 grams of mussel meat.