Kelimpahan Dinoflagellata Bentik Berbahaya di Habitat Lamun dan Makroalga di Pulau Pari, Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia

<p class="Papertext"><strong>The Abundance of the Harmful Benthic Dinoflagellate in the Seagrass and Macroalgae Habitats on Pari Island, Thousand Islands, Indonesia. </strong>Benthic dinoflagellates are an important part of benthic ecosystems and part of their ecological functions. However, ciguatoxin (CTX) producer dinoflagellates, which could cause Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) disease, is a known threat to marine biota and the island’s coastal communities, such as in Pari Island. Thus, this research aimed is to study the population of five harmful and toxin producer benthic dinoflagellate genera, namely <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Amphidinium</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coolia</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Gambierdiscus</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ostreopsis</span>, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Prorocentrum</span>, in macroalgae and seagrass habitats of Pari Island. Benthic dinoflagellate samples were collected in Juni 2019 using artificial substrates in the form of a 10×15 cm nylon screen. Environmental variables, such as nutrient concentration (nitrogen and phosphorus) and water temperature were also measured. The results showed that the average benthic dinoflagellate density in seagrass habitats was four times higher compared to the macroalgae habitats. <em>Gambierdiscus</em> were found as the most abundant benthic dinoflagellate in seagrass habitats, while <em>Prorocentrum</em> were more abundant in macroalgae habitats. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the N:P ratio was the most important regulating parameter for most benthic dinoflagellate genera in this study, except <em>Ostreopsis</em>, which was found to be more abundant in phosphorus-rich macroalga habitats. The data also shows an increase of benthic dinoflagellate cell density up to seven times compared to the previous research data in 2012 and 2013. That trend indicates an increase in the disturbance and pressure on the macroalgae and seagrass habitats of Pari Island, which require special attention to prevent the occurrence of toxic Benthic Harmful Algal Blooms (bHABs) and CFP cases in the island.</p>

Salmonella - foodborne pathogen and antimicrobial resistance

Foodborne diseases encompass a wide spectrum of illnesses and are a growing public health problem worldwide. They are caused by consumption of food or water contaminated by pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. The contamination of food can occur at any stage in the process from food production to consumption (“farm to fork”) and can result from environmental contamination (water, soil or air). They enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract where the first symptoms often occur like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea. However, symptoms differ among the different types of foodborne diseases and the patient’s immune status. Symptoms can sometimes be severe and some foodborne illnesses can even be fatal. Commonly recognized foodborne infections are: campylobacteriosis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection and haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, listeriosis, giardiasis. norovirus infection, scombroid fish poisoning, shigellosis, toxoplasmosis, Vibrio infection and yersiniosis. One of the top three germs that cause illnesses from food eaten in EU is Salmonella.

Digital Technologies and Open Data Sources in Marine Biotoxins’ Risk Analysis: The Case of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

Currently, digital technologies influence information dissemination in all business sectors, with great emphasis put on exploitation strategies. Public administrations often use information systems and establish open data repositories, primarily supporting their operation but also serving as data providers, facilitating decision-making. As such, risk analysis in the public health sector, including food safety authorities, often relies on digital technologies and open data sources. Global food safety challenges include marine biotoxins (MBs), being contaminants whose mitigation largely depends on risk analysis. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP), in particular, is a MB-related seafood intoxication attributed to the consumption of fish species that are prone to accumulate ciguatoxins. Historically, CFP occurred endemically in tropical/subtropical areas, but has gradually emerged in temperate regions, including European waters, necessitating official policy adoption to manage the potential risks. Researchers and policy-makers highlight scientific data inadequacy, under-reporting of outbreaks and information source fragmentation as major obstacles in developing CFP mitigation strategies. Although digital technologies and open data sources provide exploitable scientific information for MB risk analysis, their utilization in counteracting CFP-related hazards has not been addressed to date. This work thus attempts to answer the question, “What is the current extent of digital technologies’ and open data sources’ utilization within risk analysis tasks in the MBs field, particularly on CFP?”, by conducting a systematic literature review of the available scientific and grey literature. Results indicate that the use of digital technologies and open data sources in CFP is not negligible. However, certain gaps are identified regarding discrepancies in terminology, source fragmentation and a redundancy and downplay of social media utilization, in turn constituting a future research agenda for this under-researched topic.

Identification of Fish Species and Toxins Implicated in a Snapper Food Poisoning Event in Sabah, Malaysia, 2017

In the coastal countries of Southeast Asia, fish is a staple diet and certain fish species are food delicacies to local populations or commercially important to individual communities. Although there have been several suspected cases of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in Southeast Asian countries, few have been confirmed by ciguatoxins identification, resulting in limited information for the correct diagnosis of this food-borne disease. In the present study, ciguatoxin-1B (CTX-1B) in red snapper (Lutjanus bohar) implicated in a CFP case in Sabah, Malaysia, in December 2017 was determined by single-quadrupole selected ion monitoring (SIM) liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Continuous consumption of the toxic fish likely resulted in CFP, even when the toxin concentration in the fish consumed was low. The identification of the fish species was performed using the molecular characterization of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene marker, with a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Lutjanus. This is the first report identifying the causative toxin in fish-implicated CFP in Malaysia.

A clinical epidemiological onsite study of a massive outbreak of Scombroid fish poisoning after consumption of yellowtail kingfish in northern Chile

Scombroid fish poisoning (SFP) is an acute illness caused by the consumption of poorly preserved fish containing high levels of histamine. Symptoms develop within 1-2 h, with gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and cardiopulmonary manifestations. The diagnosis relies exclusively on the clinical picture. To describe an onsite clinical-epidemiological study of a massive outbreak of SFP occurring in Chile. Descriptive study of an outbreak occurring in a closed Convention Center after lunch with Chilean Palometa or Seriola lalandi (Yellowtail kingfish). An Onsite questionnaire was answered by all attendants within 24 h. Local health officials supervised the place with a second survey and sample recollection of suspected fish. Eighty-three adults attended the event, of which 81 ate fish. Mean age: 58.5 years old, 82.7% women. The symptomatic attack rate of people eating suspected poisoned fish was 79% (64 out of 81 participants). Most common symptoms included: diarrhea (68%); headache (64%); flushing (64%) and diffuse redness (56%). Mean incubation period: 77 min (30-240 min). 98.4% of patients recovered within 10 h. Ten patients were referred to the emergency room, but none were admitted. There was a presumption of loss of refrigeration in the handling of fish, and confirmation of SFP by clinical basis, incubation period and attack rate. Fish was the only food item associated with illness (Odds ratio: 19, p = 0.014; Fisher two tails). This is one of the 5 largest outbreaks of SFP with fresh fish, ever reported in the literature. The clinical picture and rapid onset of symptoms made it possible to suspect SFP allowing timely management of patients. It is relevant to spread the knowledge about this underdiagnosed and underreported syndrome.

Pacific-Ciguatoxin-2 and Brevetoxin-1 Induce the Sensitization of Sensory Receptors Mediating Pain and Pruritus in Sensory Neurons

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning syndromes are induced by the consumption of seafood contaminated by ciguatoxins and brevetoxins. Both toxins cause sensory symptoms such as paresthesia, cold dysesthesia and painful disorders. An intense pruritus, which may become chronic, occurs also in CFP. No curative treatment is available and the pathophysiology is not fully elucidated. Here we conducted single-cell calcium video-imaging experiments in sensory neurons from newborn rats to study in vitro the ability of Pacific-ciguatoxin-2 (P-CTX-2) and brevetoxin-1 (PbTx-1) to sensitize receptors and ion channels, (i.e., to increase the percentage of responding cells and/or the response amplitude to their pharmacological agonists). In addition, we studied the neurotrophin release in sensory neurons co-cultured with keratinocytes after exposure to P-CTX-2. Our results show that P-CTX-2 induced the sensitization of TRPA1, TRPV4, PAR2, MrgprC, MrgprA and TTX-r NaV channels in sensory neurons. P-CTX-2 increased the release of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the co-culture supernatant, suggesting that those neurotrophins could contribute to the sensitization of the aforementioned receptors and channels. Our results suggest the potential role of sensitization of sensory receptors/ion channels in the induction or persistence of sensory disturbances in CFP syndrome.

Fishing for the Bacteriome of Tropical Tuna

Background : Although tunas represent a significant part of the global fish economy and a major nutritional resource worldwide, their consumption poses a risk of food poisoning through the development of particular bacterial pathogens. However, their microbiome still remains poorly documented. Here, we conducted a multi-compartmental analysis of the taxonomic composition of the bacterial communities inhabiting the gut, skin and liver of two most consumed tropical tuna species (skipjack and yellowfin), from individuals caught in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Results : Our results revealed that the composition of the microbiome was independent of fish sex, regardless of the species and ocean considered. Instead, the main determinants were (i) tuna species for the gut and(ii) sampling site for the skin mucus layer, and (iii) a combination of both parameters for the liver. Interestingly, only 4.5% of all ASVs were shared by the three compartments, raising numerous questions about the circulation of microorganisms within the tuna body. Our results also revealed the presence of a unique and diversified bacterial assemblage within the liver, comprising a substantial proportion of histamine-producing bacteria, well known for their potential pathogenicity and their contribution to fish poisoning cases. Conclusions : These results indicate that the tuna liver is an unexplored microbial niche whose role in the health of both the host and consumers remains to be elucidated.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Gambierdiscus caribaeus (Dinophyceae), with a confirmation of its occurrence in the Colombian Caribbean Tayrona National Natural Park

Dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus are known to produce potent neurotoxins known as ciguatoxins. These toxins vector through the food web and can reach sufficiently high levels to cause ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP). In many regions of the Caribbean, little is known about the occurrence of CFP-causing species or the incidence of CFP, despite its apparent regional increase over the last few decades. Given the intraspecific variability in content and potencies of these toxins among Gambierdiscus species, the precise identification of local species of this genus is crucial. In this study we confirm the presence of the epibenthic dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus caribaeus in the Colombian continental Caribbean. Cells were collected in seagrass beds of Thalassia testudinum in Bonito Gordo, a site located on the western side of Bahía Concha, Tayrona National Natural Park, near the city of Santa Marta, Colombia. Subsequently, a single strain of Gambierdiscus could be established for further identification. Morphological (light and scanning electron microscopy), and molecular results (partial LSU and ITS rDNA sequencing) were consistent with the original description of G. caribaeus, as well as with the morphological characteristics shown by other authors in organisms obtained near the sampling area.

Traditional Criminal Law Existence in the Settlement of Criminal Action in the Environmental Field in Indonesia

Many cases of environmental pollution and illegal logging have caused alarming damage to the environment. In the Law regarding Environmental Protection and Management, tools to protect the environment have been regulated. One of which is the application of criminal sanctions, but in Indonesia, some laws live in society, one of which is customary criminal law which can also solve criminal acts in the environmental sector. This research aims to analyze the existence of customary criminal law in the settlement of crimes in the environmental sector. This research is legal research with normative juridical research. The results of this study will be presented in descriptive form. The results showed that Hulsman said the criminal justice system had caused suffering because it could not work according to its objectives and did not carry out the principle of accountability. This judicial system had innate defects. In settlement of criminal acts in the environmental sector, examples of customary criminal law are the settlement of fish poisoning cases committed by some Paya Village Village residents. They use fish poison from plants (tuba), Lannet in the form of flour, Bistox in liquid, and Decis, which is liquid.