A syndrome of characteristic symptoms predominantly

neurologic which occur within minutes or several hours after

ingestion of poisonous shellfish.
Causative organism:

Single celled organism called dinoflagellates (less than

30 kinds out of about 2000 varieties become poisonous
after heavy rainfall preceded by prolonged summer). It
is
commonly referred to as plankton. The organism that
causes red tide in the seas around Manila Bay, Samar,
Bataan, and Sambales is the Pyromidium bahamense
var.
compressum.
Mode of Transmission:

Ingestion of raw or inadequately cooked seafood usually

bi-valve shellfish or mollusks during the red tide
season.
Incubation Period:
Varies from about 30 minutes to several hours after
ingestion of poisonous shellfish.
Signs and Symptoms:
Numbness of the face especially around the mouth
Vomiting and dizziness
Headache
Tingling sensation, paresthesia and eventual paralysis
of hands and feet
Floating sensation and weakness
Rapid pulse
Difficulty of speech(ataxia) and difficulty
swallowing(dysphagia)
Total muscle paralysis w/respiratory arrest and death
occur in severe cases.
Shellfish affected by red tide must not be
cooked with vinegar as the toxin of Pyromidium
increases (15 times greater) when mixed with
acid.

Toxin of red tide is not totally destroyed upon

cooking hence consumers must be educated to
avoid bi-valve mollusks such as tahong, talaba,
halaan, kabiya, abaniko (sun and moon shell or
Asian scallop) when the red tide warning has
been issued by the proper authorities.
Management and Control Measures:

No definite medication indicated

Induce vomiting
Drinking pure coconut milk weakens the toxic effect of
red tide sodium bicarbonate solution (25 grams in ½
glass of water maybe taken). Drinking of coconut milk
and sodium bicarbonate solution is advised during the
early stage of poisoning only. If given during the late
stage, they make the condition of the pt. worse.
Red tide
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon more
correctly known as an algal bloom, an event in which
estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate
rapidly in the water column. These algae, more
specifically phytoplankton, are single-celled protists,
plant-like organisms that can form dense, visible
patches near the water's surface. Certain species of
phytoplankton, such as Dinoflagellate, contain
photosynthetic pigments that vary in colour from
green to brown to red.
Some red tides are associated with the production
of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or
other harmful effects, and are generally described
as harmful algal blooms. The most conspicuous
effects of red tides are the associated wildlife
mortalities among marine and coastal species of
fish, birds, marine mammals and other organisms.
In the case of Florida red tides, these mortalities
are caused by exposure to a potent neurotoxin
called brevetoxin which is produced naturally by
the marine algae Karenia brevis.