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Hope over cure for deadly jellyfish
TOWNSVILLE, Australia -- Australian medical scientists believe they may have found a cure for the deadly sting of a tiny jellyfish that has killed at least two swimmers in the past year. The treatment, using a safe and inexpensive magnesium infusion, has been successfully tested on two patients stung by the thumbnail-sized irukandji jellyfish, the Australian Associated Press reported Friday. Queensland Health Minister Wendy Edmond said the initial results from tests at Townsville hospital were outstanding, resulting in pain relief within 30 minutes. Little is known about the irukandji jellyfish, other than that its sting can cause massive pain -- some have compared the sensation to the pain suffered in childbirth -- and sometimes death. Northern Queensland, home to the Great Barrier Reef, is annually hit by a plague of box jellyfish in what is known as "stinger season." Tiny killerHowever, the tiny size of the irukandji jellyfish and the potency of its sting has threatened to scare away tourists and harm the region's economy. Last year two overseas visitors died after receiving irukandji stings and more than 120 others were hospitalized. Aside from the anxiety caused by searing abdominal pains, the sting can cause a potentially fatal rise in blood pressure. Announcing the discovery, Edmond said the treatment "has the potential to significantly improve the recovery of the scores of people affected by irukandji syndrome across the north each year." Scientists now hope to develop an oral version of the treatment to administer in the crucial first minutes of exposure to the sting before patients can be transported to hospital.
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