An occurrence of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning by consumption of gastropods contaminated with brevetoxins.
Brevetoxins were confirmed in urine specimens from patients diagnosed with neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) after consumption of gastropods that were recreationally harvested from an area previously affected by a Karenia brevis bloom. Several species of gastropods (Triplofusus giganteus, Sinistrofulgur sinistrum, Cinctura hunteria, Strombus alatus, Fulguropsis spirata) and one clam (Macrocallista nimbosa) from the NSP implicated gastropod collection area (Jewfish Key, Sarasota Bay, Florida) were examined for brevetoxins using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All gastropods and the clam were contaminated with brevetoxins. Composite B-type toxin concentrations in gastropods ranged from 1.1 to 198 μg BTX-3 equiv./g by ELISA, levels likely capable of causing NSP in consumers. Several brevetoxin metabolites previously characterized in molluscan shellfish were identified in these gastropods. Brevetoxin analog profiles by ELISA were similar in the gastropod species examined. This work documents the occurrence of NSP through consumption of a type of seafood not typically monitored in Florida to protect human health, demonstrating the need to better assess and communicate the risk of NSP to gastropod harvesters in Karenia brevis endemic areas.
['Abraham|Ann|A|', 'Flewelling|Leanne J|LJ|', 'El Said|Kathleen R|KR|', 'Odom|William|W|', 'Geiger|Stephen P|SP|', 'Granholm|April A|AA|', 'Jackson|Jennifer T|JT|', 'Bodager|Dean|D|']
D000818:Animals D001681:Biological Assay D049872:Bivalvia D002853:Chromatography, Liquid D004141:Dinoflagellida D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay D005431:Florida D049851:Gastropoda D006801:Humans D008387:Marine Toxins D035964:Oxocins D012758:Shellfish D057096:Shellfish Poisoning D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning Gastropods Brevetoxin Monitoring