Posted on 04/05/2018 3:40:52 PM PDT by BenLurkin
At first, Chris Matthews thought a flu bug had hit his entire family last week when they started to feel nauseous and experience eye problems at the same time. But when the family's two dogs started to show symptoms, Matthews knew something was wrong.
Matthews had cleaned out the aquarium inside his house in Steventon, England, a day prior. The 27-year-old was transferring rocks and other items from the fish tank into another container, so he could clean each item individually.
When he was finished power cleaning the tank, Matthews shut the door and went to bed. The next day, Matthews and five others in the home started developing symptoms "as bad as pneumonia."
"We couldn't regulate our temperature, we were struggling to breathe and coughing," he told SWNS on Thursday. "We woke up the next morning feeling groggy but initially put it down to flu."
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Matthews, his girlfriend, mother, father, sister and her boyfriend, and four firefighters were rushed to the hospital for treatment after inhaling the poisonous fumes. Luckily, they got out just in time.
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While palytoxin may be more dangerous when ingested, there can still be serious side effects simply by breathing in the fumes such as a disruption of "normal corneal function" and "irreversible blindness," the CDC warns.
Matthews, who has been taking care of tropical fish for over a decade, said he had no idea his simple chore could cause such damage.
"I knew about palytoxin, which can kill you if ingested, and that coral can cause things like rashes if you don't handle it carefully but I had no idea taking the pulsing xenia (coral) out of the water could make the toxin airborne," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Why not just Give and Idea to evil people to Fed Ex to political opponents.
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Wrong way to clean a tank!
A portable diatomaceous filter system is safer in every way.
Russian assassin find new ways to poison traitors to motherland.
Citizens have no need to own assault coral.
Pitbulls, poisonous snakes, toxic coral, or voting democrat, is no way to go through life.
Xenia don’t produce Palytoxin. They aren’t even in the same family of coral that produce it. Palythoa and Zoanthus produce the toxin and only a few species of it does. Article is a load of BS.
"Never drink water, m'boy, ...fish do do disgusting things in it."
Wondering if the reporter just got confused... It is more likely that he had a LOT of palythoa zoanthids as they are a more likely culprit— the fact that you shouldnt really handle them without protection is a giveaway. Palythoa are nearly indestructible, inexpensive, and are often one of the first corals a new reef keeper buys— without knowing anything about them. The Pulsing Xenia was not the problem nor the source of the palytoxin. They are more interesting but less colorful and easy to propogate. I’ve handled dozens of pieces in and out of water (it does smell out of water.) Last time I pruned, I left several large fragments in the laundry sink for a week trying to dry them out (and kill the Xenia) so I could start again. Still, a bizarre story to me in that so many were sickened by it.
“Still a bizarre story to me in that so many were sickened by it”
My first association with this story with another story was where ER people were dropping like flies when treating a patient.
The patient was having cardiac arrest and a defibrillator was used. Soon after, an unknown toxin was making everyone drop unconscious. The ER was evacuated and Haz Mat called in. The Dr. put on an O2 mask and continued trying to save the patient. (she later died of her late station cancer) Turns out the woman had been dousing herself with DMSO and the electro shock caused formation of extremely poisonous dimethyl sulfate.
It’s beauty AND THE BEAST. Fascinating.
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