Unusual cnidarian envenomations

Abstract

This chapter is a collection of unusual cnidarian envenomations. Cnidarian envenomations are common all around the world. According to the World Register of Marine Species database, there are 10,762 accepted cnidarian species and about 100 of these are considered harmful to humans. There is a great diversity of cnidarian envenomations. At one end of the spectum, there are serious envenomations, such as that of Chironex fleckeri, which can kill a man in minutes; while at the other end, there are minor conditions, such as an annoying itch. While the more serious or frequent envenomations are well-studied, others are rarely reported and poorly studied. Only a fraction of cnidarian toxins have been identified and throughly investigated. Rare cnidarian envenomations, such as fulminant hepatitis, autonomous nervous system dysfunction, or stroke are not only interesting, but they also provide a wider perspective to cnidarian toxicology. Here, there is a total of 65 cases. The cases are grouped according to the clinical outcomes and underlying physiopathology. To facilitate our understanding of these unusual and sometimes bizarre envenomations, some physiopathological data is also included with each group.