Scuba Diving And The Irukandji Syndrome
January 10th, 2009
An Irukandji jellyfish causes a painful and life-threatening sting giving symptoms collectively called the Irukandji Syndrome. Little is known about these tiny, deadly jellyfish that has been found in waters popular for scuba diving, such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Irukandji Syndrome
About six different jellyfish are thought to produce the Irukandji Syndrome.
The term ‘Irukandji’ refers to an Australian Aboriginal tribe that inhabited the Palm Cove region of northern Queensland, Australia, where this illness is most common.
The Irukandji Syndrome has been observed throughout the Pacific basin and recently off Florida.
What Is An Irukandji Jellyfish
The first known jellyfish to cause the Irukandji Syndrome was discovered in 1964 by Jack Barnes, a doctor who thought the syndrome was caused by a tiny jellyfish. He spent hours in the water of Cairns in North Queensland, Australia until he found a tiny specimen. He used this jellyfish to sting himself, his son and a life saver. They all ended up in hospital. The jellyfish was named in his honour: Carukia Barnesi
The only other known Irukandji jellyfish is the Malo kingi, named after Robert King who died from a sting off Port Douglas in north Queensland, Australia in 2002.
Irukandji jellyfish are very small, in the shape of a cube with a single tentacle hanging off each corner of the square. The entire structure of body and tentacles is, on average, only around 50 millimetres long.
It is nearly transparent making it difficult to see in the water. Because they are so small, the stinger nets used to protect swimmers from the Box Jellyfish, or Sea Wasp, don’t keep out the Irukandji jellyfish.
Irukandji Jellyfish Venom
The venom from an Irukandji jellyfish takes a while to impact. It is usually felt as a slightly painful irritant like a rash. After about 30 minutes, the venom takes affect. The symptoms of the Irukandji Syndrome are:
- severe backache or headache
- shooting pains in the muscles, chest and abdomen
- nauseous
- anxious or restless
- vomiting
- sweating
- fast heart beat and high blood pressure
It is thought that the impact on the heart that leads to fatality.
Treatment Of Irukandji Stings
Because very little is known about the Irukandji jellyfish, a definitive first aid treatment has not been developed. If any of the above symptoms occur, and the scuba diver is in a known Irukandji area and season, flush the area of the sting with copious amounts of vinegar. The patient must be taken to a hospital immediately. (Source: reef.crc.org and University of Melbourne.)
Irukandji And Risks For Scuba Divers
Unlike the Box Jellyfish that are found close to the mainland, Irukandji jellyfish mainly inhabit the deeper waters of the reef. This can be a risk for scuba divers and snorkellers, as many divers believe they are safe diving on the reefs away from the mainland.
Irukandji jellyfish can be washed in shore on the prevailing winds and tides.
Preventing Irukandji Stings
Prevention from Irukandji stings is of the utmost importance. Full coverage is the best protection. However, a full length wetsuit is not always practical when scuba diving in the warm tropical waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. In these situations, a full length lycra suit may suffice. This will also provide protection against other stingers such as Fire Coral.
A scuba diver should always have vinegar in their gear bag when diving in the Irukandji season and locations.
Because Irukandji jellyfish are so rare, the chances of being stung are very slight. However, because the consequences of a sting are significant, scuba divers should take precautions against these deadly jellyfish.
http://scuba-diving.suite101.com/article.cfm/scuba_diving_and_the_irukandji_syndrome
