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Irukandji syndrome
In 2002, stings from Irukandji jellyfish killed two people –
one man in the Whitsundays and another on a reef near Port Douglas.
It is possible that these jellyfish have been responsible for deaths
in the past that were attributed to other causes such as decompression
sickness, heart failure with fluid on the lungs (pulmonary oedema)
and drowning.
The initial sting of the Irukandji jellyfish is usually not very
painful, although, this is not always the case. Irukandji stings
have been confirmed in shallow water as little as 30mm deep.
About 5-45 (usually 30) minutes after being stung, the person starts
to develop ‘Irukandji syndrome’ – a set of symptoms
that often include severe lower back pain, muscle cramps, vomiting,
restlessness and anxiety. In rare cases, the victim can suffer pulmonary
oedema (fluid on the lungs), hypertension or toxic heart failure
that could be fatal if not treated.
Carukia barnesi was the first jellyfish shown to cause
Irukandji syndrome. It is named after Dr Jack Barnes who proved
the link between its sting and the Irukandji syndrome. The syndrome
is named after the Irukandji aboriginal tribe who live in the Cairns
area in north Queensland where Carukia barnesi is found.
While Irukandji was originally used to refer to a single species
of jellyfish, Carukia barnesi, it is now used to refer
to any box jellyfish with a sting that produces Irukandji syndrome.
So far, only a few species of carybdeid jellyfish have been shown
to cause Irukandji syndrome, however, it is believed that a sting
from several other species of jellyfish can produce the syndrome.
In Australia, most cases of Irukandji syndrome are restricted to
waters north of the Tropic of Capricorn. They occur mostly between
November and May but cases have been recorded in all months of the
year. In rare cases, Irukandji-like syndrome has been reported from
Moreton Bay, Newcastle, in and around Sydney Harbour, and near Perth.
The number of people who are stung and present to hospital each
year varies - from only a few, to more than 200 people. In the summer
of 2001-02, approximately 160 people were stung by mid February
(approximately 100 people in Cairns, 10-15 in Townsville, 20 in
the Whitsundays, 10-12 in Great Keppel, 15 in Agnes Waters). In
the 2002-03 summer, about 40 people were stung in the same time.
In the 2003-04 summer, 33 people were stung in Cairns.
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