title: Jellyfish envenoming syndromes: unknown toxic mechanisms and unproven therapies.
abstract: Interest in envenoming syndromes caused by Australian jellyfish has been intense since the deaths in early 2002 of two tourists in Queensland, attributed to the Irukandji syndrome. We review current knowledge of these envenoming syndromes, mechanisms of venom action and therapy, focusing on the deadly box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri, and the array of jellyfish thought to cause the Irukandji syndrome. Current understanding of jellyfish venom activity is very limited, and many treatments are unproven and based on anecdote.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. pbailey@iinet.net.au
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Jelinek
authors.forename: Jacqueline A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wilce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000997:Antivenins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000633:toxicity; D037462:Cubozoa; D005392:First Aid; D006801:Humans; D011312:Pressure; D013577:Syndrome; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000997:Antivenins; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D014700:Verapamil