Warning deadly Irukandji jellyfish heading further south as number of stings surge
- molly510
- Jan 9, 2019
- 1 min read
The deadly Irukandji jellyfish is likely to spread further down Australia’s east coast as temperatures warm, an expert says, after twice as many Queenslanders were stung by the species this season than usual.
Twenty-two people have been hospitalised this summer with Irukandji stings – which are so severe they can cause brain haemorrhages and a debilitating sensation of impending doom, known as Irukandji syndrome.
At the same time, nearly 5,000 people suffered the milder sting of the bluebottle, which massed in a record-breaking armada along the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast last weekend.
Seymour said that it was possible for larger bluebottles to inflict Irukandji syndrome because jellyfish venom changed with age and size.
“We know that bluebottles under some circumstances give rise to Irukandji syndrome,” he said. “It appears they have a different venom when they are small than when they are large. This is not unknown in jellyfish – their venom changes as they age.”
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