Africanized Honey Bee Sting-Induced Stress-Related Cardiomyopathy: A Bee or Octopus Trap.

The Africanized honey bee commonly referred to as the "killer bee," is a hybrid of the East African lowland honey bee with various European honey bees. These bees tend to be more hostile as compared to other bee species. Their stings may have devastating clinical sequelae, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular events, and fatalities.

Combined Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of the Posterior Salivary Gland from the Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus and the Southern Sand Octopus.

This study provides comprehensive proteomic profiles from the venom producing posterior salivary glands of octopus (superorder Octopodiformes) species. A combined transcriptomic and proteomic approach was used to identify 1703 proteins from the posterior salivary gland of the southern blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa and 1300 proteins from the posterior salivary gland of the southern sand octopus, Octopus kaurna. The two proteomes were broadly similar; clustering of proteins into orthogroups revealed 937 that were shared between species.

Death in the octopus' garden: fatal blue-lined octopus envenomations of adult green sea turtles.

The blue-lined octopus contains the powerful neuromuscular blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), which causes muscle weakness and respiratory failure. is regarded as one of the most venomous marine animals in the world, and multiple human fatalities have been attributed to the octopus. To date, there have been no recorded incidents of an envenomation of a wild animal.

Animal-related fatalities--part II: characteristic autopsy findings and variable causes of death associated with envenomation, poisoning, anaphylaxis, asphyxiation, and sepsis.

In addition to blunt and sharp trauma, animal-related fatalities may result from envenomation, poisoning, anaphylaxis, asphyxiation, and sepsis. Although the majority of envenomation deaths are caused by hornets, bees, and wasps, the mechanism of death is most often anaphylaxis. Envenomation resulting from the injection of a poison or toxin into a victim occurs with snakes, spiders, and scorpions on land.

Encounters with venomous sea-life.

Background: Sea-life with envenomation capabilities are quite abundant and diverse worldwide, being predominantly found in tropical waters. Most envenomations occur not as an attack, but as a result of self defense when the animal perceives danger; and often when locals or tourists are engaged in recreational activities. Most of these cases have only minor injuries, and few are fatal.

Blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena sp.) envenomation of a 4-year-old boy: a case report.

Introduction: The blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena sp.) is a small animal, which can inject a toxin that produces a respiratory arrest within minutes. This envenomation is a rare occurrence with very few reported outcomes in children.

Neurotropic effects of venoms and other factors that promote prey acquisition.

Mammals envenomed by either the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) or the cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) exhibit an immediate but transitory pupillar contraction, a parasympathomimetic effect mediated through the ciliary ganglion that can be prevented by a retrobulbar injection of anesthetic. The venom of the cottonmouth injected into the lymph spaces of the frog (Rana pipiens) produces an immediate and total collapse of the lung sacs. Applied locally to the surface, it produces a constriction that eventually collapses the entire sac.

Struan Sutherland--Doyen of envenomation in Australia.

Struan Sutherland (1936-2002) was the doyen of medical research in the field of envenomation and the ultimate authority on the medical management of envenomated victims in Australia for almost 3 decades. In 1981 as Head of Immunology Research of Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), he produced an antivenom against the Sydney Funnel-web Spider (Atrax robustus)-an accomplishment that had defied numerous previous attempts. Struan also invented the pressure-immobilisation technique of first-aid for snake bite.

Marine envenomations. Part 2--Other marine envenomations.

Background: Australian waters contain a variety of venomous creatures, including jellyfish, stinging fish, blue-ringed octopus, sea snakes, cone snails and stingrays.

Objective: Part 2 of this article focusses on common marine envenomations other than jellyfish stings.

Discussion: Even though mortality from these envenomations is low, there is a high level of morbidity especially with stonefish and other stinging fish envenomations.

Marine antivenoms.

There is an enormous diversity and complexity of venoms and poisons in marine animals. Fatalities have occurred from envenoming by sea snakes, jellyfish, venomous fish such as stonefish, cone snails, and blue-ringed octopus. Deaths have also followed ingestion of toxins in shellfish, puffer fish (Fugu), and ciguatoxin-containing fish.

Venomous marine creatures.

Background: Many venomous marine creatures inhabit Australian waters, causing significant morbidity and occasional fatalities. No antivenom is available for most of these creatures. Little is known about the venom or syndromes produced by many of these creatures.