TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1990//
TI  - Lethal paralytic shellfish poisoning in Guatemala
JO  - American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
A1  - Rodrigue, Daniel C.
A1  - Etzel, R. A.
A1  - Hall, S.
A1  - de Porras, E.
A1  - Velasquez, O. H.
A1  - Tauxe, R. V.
A1  - Kilbourne, E. M.
A1  - Blake, P. A.
SP  - 267
EP  - 271
VL  - 42
IS  - 3
N2  - An outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning occurred in Champerico, on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, July-August 1987. Of 187 people affected with characteristic neurologic symptoms, 26 died. A case study implicated a species of clam, Amphichaena kindermani, harvested from local beaches as the vehicle of the neurotoxins (saxitoxins). Children less than 6 years old had a higher fatality rate (50%) than people greater than 18 years of age (7%). The minimum lethal dose for 1 child was estimated to have been 140 mouse units of toxin/kg body weight; thus children may be more sensitive to the saxitoxins than are adults. This is the first large outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning recognized in Guatemala.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-9637
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -