An Australian woman was bitten several times by a blue-ringed octopus, one of the most toxic animals in the world, and lived to tell the tale, how was she saved?
The blue-ringed octopus is a group comprising four species: the greater blue-ringed octopus
(Hapalochlaena lunulata), the southern blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa), the blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena fasciata), and the blue-ringed octopus. common (Hapalochlaena nierstraszi).
These octopuses are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and are covered in tiny rings that flash an iridescent blue when the animals feel threatened.
Blue-ringed octopus.
Why are blue-ringed octopuses deadly?
Blue-ringed octopuses also contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin
that can paralyze and kill humans even in small doses.
On March 16, a woman was bitten twelve times in the abdomen by an unknown species of blue-ringed octopus on a beach near Sydney in New South Wales, Australia.
"The woman had picked up a small shell while swimming, and when she took it to look at it, the tiny cephalopod broke off and landed on her stomach," the New South Wales Ambulance Service wrote on Facebook.
How they treated the woman poisoned by an octopus
The blue-ringed octopus that attacked a woman on a beach near Sydney.
The woman experienced some abdominal pain and was treated with cold packs before being taken to hospital to be monitored for further symptoms
, according to NSW Ambulance.
However, it is not clear why the woman escaped relatively unscathed.
"
The bite of a blue-ringed octopus is rare for us, but they are very poisonous
," explained Inspector Christian Holmes.
"The patient suffered from abdominal pain at the bite site, so paramedics applied pressure and a cold compress. Doctors at Royal North Shore Hospital later did not explain how she was saved," authorities said.
Why are blue-ringed octopuses so poisonous?
Tetrodotoxin, the substance emitted by the blue-ringed octopus, prevents nerves from sending signals to muscles by blocking sodium ion channels.
This causes rapid weakening and paralysis of the muscles, including those of the airways
, which can lead to respiratory arrest and death.
The beach where the woman was attacked by the blue-ringed octopus.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
the effects of tetrodotoxin can be rapid or delayed, with death occurring anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours after
the toxin enters the body. organism
There is no known antidote for tetrodotoxin.
All healthcare professionals can do is provide supportive care or use a ventilator if the patient cannot breathe
, according to the CDC.
Blue-ringed octopuses do not produce tetrodotoxin by themselves.
Instead, the toxin is produced by symbiotic bacteria that live in their salivary glands, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Tetrodotoxin is found in all tissues of the octopus, not just specific venom glands, making it one of the few animals that is both poisonous.
It also means that a person can receive a lethal dose if one of these octopuses touches their skin.
Despite being so toxic, blue-ringed octopuses have only caused three confirmed deaths
, according to WebMD.
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