Symptoms of Domoic Acid Poisoning

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Abdominal Cramps

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Confusion

• Disorientation

• Short-term Memory Loss

• Motor Weakness

• Seizures

• Profuse Respiratory Secretions

• Cardiac Arrhythmia

• Coma

• Possibly Death

Sea lion Lavage

Courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center

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Slide 2. SYMPTOMS OF DOMOIC ACID POISONING

-Produced by species of Pseudo-nitzschia, microscopic plants

-Symptoms: nausea/vomiting

-More extreme cases: disorientation/short term memory loss/possibly death

-PICTURE: Sea lion from 1998 getting stomach pumped

MESSAGE: OUTLINE SYMPTOMS

Domoic acid is a neurotoxic compound produced by a variety of algae. The most troublesome origins are from the diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. However, not all species in this genus produce the toxin. Two domoic acid producing species are P. multiseries (responsible for the outbreak in Prince Edward Is., Canada in 1987) and P. australis which was responsible for our outbreak here on the west coast in 1991.

This slide (slide 2) lists some of the symptoms of domoic acid poisoning. They range from nausea and vomiting to disorientation, short term memory loss, permanent brain damage, and death in extreme cases.

Pictured here is a sea lion, suffering from domoic acid poisoning in 1998, getting its stomach pumped, the photo is courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA.