Diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) is one of the four recognized symptom types of
shellfish poisoning, alongside
paralytic shellfish poisoning,
neurotoxic shellfish poisoning and
amnesic shellfish poisoning. As the name suggests, it mainly manifests as
diarrhea
Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...
.
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain, also known as a stomach ache, is a symptom associated with both non-serious and serious medical issues. Since the abdomen contains most of the body's vital organs, it can be an indicator of a wide variety of diseases. Given th ...
,
nausea
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat.
Over 30 d ...
and
vomiting
Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pre ...
may also occur.
DSP and its symptoms usually set in within about half an hour of ingesting infected shellfish, and last for about one day. The causative poison is
okadaic acid
Okadaic acid, C44H68O13, is a toxin produced by several species of dinoflagellates. It is known to accumulate in both marine sponges and shellfish. One of the primary causes of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, okadaic acid is a potent inhibitor of ...
, which inhibits intestinal cellular
dephosphorylation
In biochemistry, dephosphorylation is the removal of a phosphate () group from an organic compound by hydrolysis. It is a reversible post-translational modification. Dephosphorylation and its counterpart, phosphorylation, activate and deactivate e ...
.
This causes the cells to become very water-permeable and the host to profusely defecate into a high risk of
dehydration
In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water that disrupts metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds intake, often resulting from excessive sweating, health conditions, or inadequate consumption of water. Mild deh ...
.
See also
*
Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP)
*
Harmful algal bloom
A harmful algal bloom (HAB), or excessive algae growth, sometimes called a red tide in marine environments, is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms by production of natural algae-produced toxins, water deoxygenation, ...
s (HABs)
*
Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP)
*
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
References
External links
Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning
{{Fish disease topics
Diarrhea
Seafood
Toxic effect of noxious substances eaten as food