title: Overview of aerosolized Florida red tide toxins: exposures and effects.
abstract: Florida red tide is caused by Karenia brevis, a dinoflagellate that periodically blooms, releasing its potent neurotoxin, brevetoxin, into the surrounding waters and air along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Exposure to Florida red tide toxins has been associated with adverse human health effects and massive fish and marine mammal deaths. The articles in this mini-monograph describe the ongoing interdisciplinary and interagency research program that characterizes the exposures and health effects of aerosolized Florida red tide toxins (brevetoxins). The interdisciplinary research program uses animal models and laboratory studies to develop hypotheses and apply these findings to in situ human exposures. Our ultimate goal is to develop appropriate prevention measures and medical interventions to mitigate or prevent adverse health effects from exposure to complex mixtures of aerosolized red tide toxins.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Miami, FL 33136, USA. lfleming@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Lora E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Lorraine C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Backer
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Baden
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D035964:Oxocins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011634:Public Health; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D000095702:Polyether Toxins
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D008387:Marine Toxins; D035964:Oxocins; C053342:brevetoxin; D000095702:Polyether Toxins