New experiments determine effective treatments for box jelly stings

One of the over 30 species of box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri. Image courtesy of Robert Hartwick.

Researchers at the UH Mānoa developed an array of highly innovative experiments to allow scientists to safely test first-aid measures used for box jellyfish stings—from folk tales, like urine, to state-of-the-art technologies developed for the military. The power of this new array approach, published this week in the journal Toxins, is in its ability to rigorously assess the effectiveness of various treatments on inhibiting tentacle firing and venom toxicity—two aspects of a sting that affect the severity of a person’s reaction.

Box jellyfish are among the deadliest creatures on Earth and are responsible for more deaths than shark attacks annually. Despite the danger posed by these gelatinous invertebrates, scientists and medical professionals still do not agree on the best way to treat and manage jellyfish stings. “Authoritative web articles are constantly bombarding the public with unvalidated and frankly bad advice for how to treat a jelly sting,” said Angel Yanagihara, lead author of the paper and assistant research professor at the  Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). “I really worry that emergency responders and public health decision makers might rely on these unscientific articles. It’s not too strong to point out that in some cases, ignorance can cost lives.”

Read more about it and watch the video report at UH System News; read more about it at Hawaii News Now and the UH Mānoa News.