Box jellyfish envenomation among officers and volunteers caring for a dugong at Libong Island, Trang Province, Thailand during June–July 2019
Keywords:
box jellyfish, Trang Province, 2019Abstract
Backgrounds: Division of Epidemiology was notified by the Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 12 Songkhla of three volunteers in the “Saving a dugong” mission at Libong island were injured by jellyfish during 14th–17th June 2019. An investigation was conducted to describe the characteristics of injury and provide prevention measures.
Methods: Descriptive study was conducted. We reviewed medical records, interviewed patients and volunteers in the mission about their illnesses and first aid management. Active case finding for box jellyfish injury was performed using the definitions: a suspected case was a person at Libong Island who had skin or systemic symptoms compatible with jellyfish-related injury with suspected history of contact jellyfish between 1st June to 5th July 2019. The situation of jellyfish-related injury in Trang during 2014–2019 was reviewed from 8 hospitals. Count, proportion, median and interquartile range were reported.
Results: Six injured volunteers and officers were found with no fatality. One case showed Irukandji-like syndrome. Others had mild skin symptoms. The injuries occurred to the body parts where wetsuits did not cover including neck, hand, wrist, knee, calf, and ankle. Some of them received inappropriate first aid treatment. During 2014– 2019, there were 325 cases of jellyfish-related injury in Trang. Number of injuries was high during monsoon season. Most patients were fishermen and tourists.
Conclusion: Jellyfish injury is common in Trang Sea. This event was occupation related. Agencies that have officers working in the area should provide adequate personal protective equipment including cover-all wetsuits and procedures for the appropriate first aid treatment to their staffs.
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