Occupational Exposure to Pfiesteria Species in Estuarine Waters Is Not a Risk Factor for Illness
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Exposure to the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria has, under certain circumstances, been associated with deficits in human learning and memory. However, uncertainties remain about the health risk of chronic, low-level exposures (as seen among occupationally exposed commercial fishermen), particularly in light of studies suggesting that Pfiesteria strains are widespread in the estuarine environment in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region. METHODS We selected an initial cohort of 152 persons, including 123 persons with regular, occupational exposure to the Chesapeake Bay ; 107 of the cohort members were followed for the full four summer "seasons" of the study. Cohort members were questioned biweekly about symptoms, and data were collected about the areas of the bay in which they worked. These latter data were matched with data on the presence or absence of Pfiesteria in each area, based on polymerase chain reaction analysis of > 3,500 water samples. Cohort members underwent neuropsychological testing at the beginning and end of each summer season. RESULTS No correlation was found between work in an area where Pfiesteria was identified and specific symptomatology or changes on neuropsychological tests. CONCLUSIONS Although high-level or outbreak-associated exposure to Pfiesteria species (or specific strains within a species) may have an effect on health, routine occupational exposure to estuarine environments in which these organisms are present does not appear to pose a significant health risk.
منابع مشابه
Pfiesteria in Estuarine Waters: The Question of Health Risks
The Question of Health Risks The conclusion of Morris et al. (2006) that “Exposure to Pfiesteria Species in Estuarine Waters Is Not a Risk Factor for Illness” is unsupported because a) a description of Pfiesteria-related fish kills in the Chesapeake estuaries during 1999–2002 was omitted; b) quantitative data on Pfiesteria were not collected; c) data on visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) were co...
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The Question of Health Risks The conclusion of Morris et al. (2006) that “Exposure to Pfiesteria Species in Estuarine Waters Is Not a Risk Factor for Illness” is unsupported because a) a description of Pfiesteria-related fish kills in the Chesapeake estuaries during 1999–2002 was omitted; b) quantitative data on Pfiesteria were not collected; c) data on visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) were co...
متن کاملCohort studies of health effects among people exposed to estuarine waters: North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.
A variety of human symptoms have been associated with exposure to the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria and have been grouped together into a syndrome termed "possible estuary-associated syndrome." Prospective cohort studies of health effects associated with exposure to estuarine waters that may contain Pfiesteria spp. and related organisms are in progress in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The...
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Atlantic coast estuaries recently have experienced fish kills and fish with lesions attributed to Pfiesteria piscicida and related dinoflagellates. Human health effects have been reported from laboratory exposure and from a 1997 Maryland fish kill. North Carolina has recorded Pfiesteria-related fish kill events over the past decade, but human health effects from environmental exposure have not ...
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BACKGROUND Members of the estuarine dinoflagellate genus Pfiesteria are reported to have been responsible for massive fish kills in the southeastern United States. Some reports suggest that exposure to waters having Pfiesteria blooms or occupation-related exposure might result in Pfiesteria-induced dermal irritation and inflammation. Although the toxin has not been isolated and purified, the or...
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