Chelonitoxism or chelonitoxication is a type of
food poisoning
Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food,
as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease) ...
which occasionally results from eating turtles, particularly, marine turtles, in the region of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
[Multiple fatalities following ingestion of sea turtle meat]
NACCT Congress – September 23–26, 2011 Washington DC POSTER SESSION III 169[ It is considered rare.
Four species of marine turtle have been associated with Chelonitoxism: ]hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...
(''Eremochelys imbricata''), green sea turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
(''Chelonia mydas''), loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when fully ...
(''Caretta caretta gigas''), leatherback sea turtle
The leatherback sea turtle (''Dermochelys coriacea''), sometimes called the lute turtle or leathery turtle or simply the luth, is the largest of all living turtles and the heaviest non-crocodilian reptile, reaching lengths of up to and weights ...
(''Dermochelys coriacea''), plus the freshwater species New Guinea giant softshell turtle
The southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle (''Pelochelys bibroni'') is a species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is endemic to the lowlands of southern New Guinea with occasional vagrant individuals sighted off th ...
(''Pelochelys bibroni''). Consumption of these species has caused poisoning incidents at various times of year in various tropical and subtropical locations, including such places as Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Guinea, as well as southern South Asia (Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar ( ) is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean with an average depth of . ). This last region has recorded 89 deaths from (primarily hawksbill and green) sea turtle poisoning from 1840 to 1983, mainly in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
and northern and western Sri Lanka.supportive treatment
Symptomatic treatment, supportive care, supportive therapy, or palliative treatment is any medical therapy of a disease that only affects its symptoms, not the underlying cause. It is usually aimed at reducing the signs and symptoms for the comfor ...
is the only treatment available; there is no known antidote
An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon) antidoton'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". Antidotes for anticoagulants are s ...
.Pacific Islanders die after feasting on poisonous turtle meat
Telegraph Sea turtle is a traditional food in the region of the
Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
[ Symptoms of chelonitoxism begin to show up within hours to a week following ingestion of turtle meat which has not been repeatedly ]parboiled
Parboiling (or leaching) is the partial or semi boiling of food as the first step in cooking. The word is from the Old French 'parboillir' (to boil thoroughly) but by mistaken association with 'part' it has acquired its current meaning.
The wo ...
.[ Children are especially susceptible, and the toxins have been reported to transfer readily via breastfeeding, even when the mother experiences no illness.][
Digestive system signs include ]nausea
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...
, vomiting, diarrhea
Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...
, abdominal pain, dysphagia
Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some contexts it is classified as a disease#Terminology, condition in its own right.
It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passag ...
, tongue abnormalities and a firm, nontender liver. Autopsies have revealed hemorrhage in liver, esophagus and stomach, with mucosal
A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...
edema
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...
of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Fatty changes and necrosis
Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...
of the liver were present. Other organs found to be abnormal on autopsy include swollen gall bladder, congested kidneys and enlarged spleen.[
Cardiovascular signs include variable slight ]tachycardia
Tachycardia, also called tachyarrhythmia, is a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting rate. In general, a resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute is accepted as tachycardia in adults. Heart rates above the resting rate may be normal (su ...
and a moderate drop in systolic blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...
, pallor
Pallor is a pale color of the skin that can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, or anemia, and is the result of a reduced amount of oxyhaemoglobin and may also be visible as pallor of the conjunctivae of the eyes o ...
and, on autopsy, a flabby heart with hemorrhagic
Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vagi ...
petechiae
A petechia () is a small red or purple spot (≤4 mm in diameter) that can appear on the skin, conjunctiva, retina, and mucous membranes which is caused by haemorrhage of capillaries. The word is derived from Italian , 'freckle,' of obscure origin ...
. Neurological signs include increased salivation
Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be e ...
, sweating, vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
, lethargy
Lethargy is a state of tiredness, sleepiness, weariness, fatigue, sluggishness or lack of energy. It can be accompanied by depression, decreased motivation, or apathy. Lethargy can be a normal response to inadequate sleep, overexertion, overwo ...
and diminished deep reflexes, sometimes followed by coma and death. Death was found to result from respiratory failure
Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise ...
. On autopsy, cerebral cortical edema was found, along with hemorrhagic petechiae.[ Low fever, thirst, constipation and ]spontaneous abortion
Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...
have also been reported, while typical signs of allergic reaction are absent. A full recovery can take weeks, and it is not known whether any aftereffects are permanent. While standard hospital toxicology screens detected no known toxins, stomach contents of hospitalized patients fed to small laboratory animals killed the animals. It has been speculated by Silas and Bastian that chelonitoxism may involve a neurotoxin.[
Research on the biochemistry of both poisonous turtle tissues and tissues of turtle poisoning patients is scant, and local medical practitioners have minimal treatment protocols for chelonitoxism at their disposal.][ Currently, with loggerheads (and other turtles under pressure from hunting) under legal protection against hunting, researchers hope that programs to discourage turtle consumption on health grounds may both increase turtle numbers and prevent human morbidity and mortality.][
]
References
{{Turtle terms
Foodborne illnesses
Turtle terminology