Thai biologists track deadly box jellyfish
Thai biologists are seeking help from their Australian counterparts after the presence of the deadly box jellyfish in Thai waters was recently confirmed for the first time.
An investigation was launched after Australian Lewis Jones, 6, was stung by a suspected box jellyfish in Trat province on the Gulf of Thailand in December. The boy's heart stopped for two minutes. In April, a Swedish girl, 10, died from allergic shock suspected to have been caused by a jellyfish sting off the coast of Krabi, in the Andaman Sea.
The probe by government scientists resulted in several jellyfish being trapped by fishermen around Krabi in late August. They have since been confirmed to be a member of the venomous Carybdeidae family.
More jellyfish were captured in waters off Phuket on July 30. Between 10 and 20 box jellyfish of the Chirodropidae family were captured by a fisherman who took them to the Phuket Marine Biology Centre.
But a spokesman for the centre said testing was expected to confirm that the Phuket jellyfish were of the venomous but non-fatal Chirodropidae variety. Samples were yesterday sent to Lisa-ann Gershwin at the Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services in Townsville, Queensland.
Somchai Bussarawit, head of the Phuket centre, told the Bangkok Post that he hoped confirmation of the presence of the deadly creature in Thai waters would prompt caution from tourists and the public.
In the latest issue of the Phuket Post, Lewis' father, Andrew, described his search for answers.
'Thailand's public health facilities do not keep proper records on the subject and do not know what they are looking for. Anecdotal evidence suggests villagers are buried without official notice,' he said.
'If it was reported that deaths from box jellyfish were in the 10s annually [more than Australia], then more people would pay attention.'
