Minutus

Does anyone have any ideas about a possible homoeopathic treatment. I don¹t
suppose Magnesium in high potency would be logical???? I bathe in these
waters in winter when relatively safe . Some would not. Thank you for
thoughts Jean

Friday, 31 January, 2003, 15:51 GMT
Hope for lethal jellyfish cure
Irukandji are the size of a thumbnail

Doctors believe they may have found an effective treatment for people stung
by deadly irukandji jellyfish.

This species of jellyfish has been found off the coast of north-eastern
Australia.

Last year, it was blamed for the deaths of two swimmers. Another 120 needed
hospital treatment after being stung.

We are cautiously optimistic with these treatment results

Dr Michael Corkeron,
Townsville Hospital Queensland
But doctors in Queensland say magnesium infusion can fight the jellyfish's
lethal venom.

The treatment has been tested on pigs. Doctors have now reported success in
humans, with two patients recovering fully after being stung.

Safe treatment

Dr Michael Corkeron, director of intensive care at the state's Townsville
Hospital, said: "The remarkable thing is that magnesium infusion is a
long-established, very safe and inexpensive treatment."

Experts welcomed the breakthrough but said further research is needed.

Peter Fenner, a jellyfish expert, said: "Of course, two patients doesn't
make a whole solution but it's an extremely helpful tool for hospital
treatment.

"Our knowledge of this syndrome has really expanded in the last few years
and we are cautiously optimistic with these treatment results."

He added that scientists would need to develop an oral treatment for victims
who are stung a long way from hospital.

There was concern that last year's attacks would threaten tourism in the
area, which boasts the Great Barrier Reef among its attractions.

Queensland Health Minister Wendy Edmond welcomed the breakthrough.

She said the treatment "has the potential to significantly improve the
recovery of the scores of people affected by irukandji syndrome across the
north each year."

One of those to die in last year's attack was British tourist Richard
Jordan.

Mr Jordan, 58, from Driffield in east Yorkshire, suffered a brain
haemorrhage after he came into contact with the almost invisible,
peanut-sized jellyfish.

Little is known about this species of jellyfish except that its sting can
cause severe pain, anxiety and a potentially fatal rise in blood pressure.
See also:

01 Feb 02 | England
Briton killed by tiny jellyfish
05 May 01 | Asia-Pacific
Australia: Deadly paradise
21 Aug 00 | Science/Nature
Sting relief for summer swimmers
Internet links:

Queensland Health

Irukandji information
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Well, logically if magnesium infusion is a successful treatment, you'd
want a homeopathic treatment which would cause (in provings or clinical
anecdotes) extreme deficiency in magnesium or otherwise disruption in
electrolyte homeostasis..

More logically, though, we'd be wanting to find as much as possible
about the symptoms so that we could pinpoint a homeopathic remedy "by
the book" .. and maybe just in case- get some industrial-strength oral
magnesium electrolyte replacement -check out the oral supplementation
chart here
http://www.home.eznet.net/~webtent/mg.html

The rapid onset of severe pains might be similar to many venoms &
poisons.
There is a tiny rubric
Generals Apoplexy - accompanied by hypertension (Glon. & Op.)
-which seems to fit "Irukandji" syndrome
and Glon. seems to fit the balance of the symptoms as well.
Dave Hartley
www.localcomputermart.com/dave
Santa Cruz, CA (831)464-8127

Hi Jean,

Personally, I would not want to make the leap from IV magnesim to potentized
magnesium, without examining the symptom picture of the sting, and what it
is that could cause death! The main role I'd think of for IV magnesium
would be as a heavy-duty muscle relaxant, so I wonder whether the venom
causes seizures or tetany? (Does mg in potency cover that picture, BTW? Or
what about snake venom rxs???)

Shannon
on 2/1/03 1:17 AM, Jean Watson Doherty at clelly@tpg.com.au wrote:

Information on picture. I have thought in past I should carry Apis?? Or
Aconite. ???/ Magn Phos.
DANGERS ON THE REEF.....Irukandji

Irukandji (Carukia barnesi)
The Irukandji (C. barnesi) is a small jellyfish approx 2cm diameter bell,
responsible for an unusual and dramatic syndrome observed following stings
in northern Australia, especially north Queensland.
image copyright L. Gershwin
Stings have been recorded from Childers to Broome, and a similar syndrome
has been described elsewhere in the Pacific. Every summer, more than sixty
people are hospitalized with this potentially fatal syndrome. The initial
sting of the jellyfish is usually not very painful. But about 5-45 (usually
30) minutes after being stung, the person starts to have a severe backache
or headache and shooting pains in their muscles, chest and abdomen. They may
also feel nauseous, anxious, restless and vomit. In rare cases, the victim
suffers pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs) which could be fatal if not
treated.

Carukia barnesi has a single retractile tentacle, from 50 to 500 mm long,
hanging from each of the four corners of its bell.

In 1964, a doctor called Jack Barnes spent several hours in a wetsuit lying
in the water near Cairns searching for a jellyfish responsible for
'irukandji syndrome' - a set of symptoms suffered after a jellyfish sting
that could put the victim in hospital. Irukandji is the name of an
aboriginal tribe that once lived in the area around Cairns in north
Queensland.

To Dr Barnes' delight, a thumbnail-sized jellyfish swam past his mask. He
stung himself, his son and a surf life saver to check that the jellyfish he
had caught was responsible for 'irukandji syndrome'. All three ended up in
hospital. For Dr Barnes' dedication, the tiny jellyfish was later called
Carukia barnesi.

Report on the latest medical research (Jan 2003)

Are irukandji deadly?
In January 2002, a tourist swimming near Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays
died after being stung by a jellyfish. His death was reported by the press
to have been caused by an irukandji.

The 58-year-old man had a pre-existing medical condition that made a
jellyfish sting fatal. He had a valve replacement and was taking warfarin to
thin his blood. After he was stung, his blood pressure increased which
caused a brain hemorrhage leading to his death.

The jellyfish that stung the man was not collected and its identity remains
a mystery.

As with most dangers, if you take the right precautions and are aware of
them, you can take steps to minimize the impact of the danger and still
enjoy all the wonderful beauty of the reef. The specialised dive operators
will take all precautions necessary to ensure you have a safe and rewarding
day out on the reef.
Habitat

Unlike Chironex fleckeri (Box Jelly Fish), Irukandji are found mostly in the
deeper waters of the reef, although they may be swept inshore by prevailing
currents. Divers and snorkellers are particularly at risk.
First Aid

Victims frequently require hospitalisation for analgesia and sometimes
intravenous antihypertensive therapy; alpha-blocking agents such as
phentolamine have been used for this purpose. Supraventricular tachycardia
and transient dilated cardiomyopathy have been reported following Irukandji
stings, and it has been suggested that serial echocardiography be performed
to monitor the progress of severely affected patients. Analgesia is usually
required, and may need to be given intravenously when pain is severe. First
aid consists of analgesia and reassurance. The role of vinegar to inactivate
undischarged nematocysts remains uncertain, with initial work proving
inconclusive. No definitive treatment is currently available for the
Irukandji syndrome. The Australian Venom Research Unit is currently involved
in research to develop an antivenom to treat Irukandji envenomation.

**references obtained from reef.crc.org and the university of Melbourne The
picture above is for a general representation only

Blue Ring Octopus Cone Shells Box Jelly Fish Lion Fish Sting Rays Stone fish
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I don't think Apis, but Acon. as a 2nd or 3rd choice after preferred
Glon.

Most victims have been OFFshore, divers not swimmers ?
Dave Hartley
www.localcomputermart.com/dave
Santa Cruz, CA (831)464-8127

Dear Jean, I think I would also want to include Belladonna (especially if
there is intense redness and heat in the reaction) and also Cedron and
Grindelia. I wouldn't discount Apis, Hypercium or Kalmia. Not surprisingly
the heart and lungs are involved in the reaction to these stings and a
closer look at those aspects might be necessary.

I also like to think that an antidote occurs naturally within the locale -
maybe a clue here.

Just a few thoughts. Best wishes, Joy

Thank you Joy. Cedron very interesting. Would have perhaps been useful in
severe febrile illness my neighbour and many others suffered from last
August in Cape York. I could not find the remedy and had to have her
admitted to hospital for dehydration. Subsequent to that she developed
fatigue ,loss of hair, amenorrhoea and some stigma of auto immune
disease.,zinc deficiency and low serum ferritin. I had myself a week or
more of pain in ankles ,wrists and finger joints worse at night. No swelling
or limitation of movement. Ross River serology negative.
She has improved in energy, and hair commenced to grow again since
occasional dose of Tub Bov 200c, prescribed on thinking that it was
indicated in auto immune disorders and a certain restlessness. I am uneasy
that any of my treatment during the illness might have produced sequela.
Rhus tox often a big remedy for her when pathological anxiety about
children, baptistia, bad taste and brown tongue and diarrhoea.
As for something local. I wonder what the indigenous remedy would be . I was
very pleased to see there was more confidence developing about indigenous
food and other matters in that society. I must explore. Jean
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