THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510070283
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 130 lines
State Health Director Ronald J. Levine issued a health warning on Friday, cautioning people to avoid contact with a toxic algae responsible for recent fish kills on the Neuse River.
The health warning, the first of its kind, warns people not to eat fish with sores or other indications of disease; warns fishermen not to catch for consumption fish that are dead or dying; and warns people not to swim in waters near the kill.
This health warning applies just to the Neuse River, but similar warnings will be issued if the algae, known as pfiesteria piscimorte, or fish killer, causes fish kills on other waterways in the state, Levine said.
``We know that lab researchers exposed to the pfiesteria have reported illness,'' Levine said. ``We still don't know if it affects people in a real-world situation. But we want to err on the conservative side.
``Therefore, we plan to make this type of precaution warning in all fish kills involving pfiesteria piscimorte now and in the future.''
Similar to red tide and believed to be one of the most virulent algae discovered, the fish killer algae was first found in 1991 on the Pamlico River, the scene of massive fish kills involving thousands of menhaden.
At the time, North Carolina State University researcher JoAnn M. Burkholder and Ed Noga, an associate professor and aquatic animal scientist at NCSU's veterinary school, said they had discovered a new type of algae so lethal they believed it has been responsible for about one-fourth of the fish kills in the Pamlico River since 1986.
Burkholder is a member of the state Marine Fisheries Commission and chairwoman of the commission's habitat and water quality committee.
She and a member of her research team became ill in 1993 during laboratory studies of the algae, which they identified as a dinoflagellate and named pfiesteria.
Symptoms experienced recently by some fishermen and divers on the Neuse mirror those suffered by the university researchers: memory loss, headaches, rashes, skin infections and open sores.
The algae is thought to have killed millions of fish on the Neuse River this year. In the most recent incident, 5 million fish have died in the past 15 days. Dead fish have been found along an eight-mile stretch of the river surrounding New Bern.
The algae has been linked to major fish kills on the Pamlico River this summer. It also has been found in the New River in Onslow County and is believed to be in Virginia waters, where it has been linked to kills involving menhaden and other fish.
The health warning comes two days after a public meeting in New Bern. Before the meeting, Burkholder told the Associated Press that state officials are under-reporting the severity of fish kills caused by the algae and downplaying the risk to humans.
She said the state may be downplaying the health hazard in the Neuse River for fear of scaring away tourists and retirees.
Jonathan Howes, secretary of the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, said the warning is intended to address concerns about pfiesteria-related fish kills.
``I attended a public meeting in New Bern Tuesday and heard 400 people speaking with one voice,'' Howes said. ``They said it was our duty as the state health department to let people know that it is possible that there could be a problem with exposure to this organism.''
The health warning issued for the Neuse River kill is a transitory warning. It differs from a health advisory, which is used for more long-lasting contaminations such as dioxin and mercury contamination.
Levine said the health warning represents a ``major change'' in state policy.
``Until today, we have only issued `health advisories' when we had scientific data to confirm that there is a problem,'' he said. ``We are issuing this warning without data to confirm that there is a real problem outside the laboratory.''
Future health warnings will be issued through local health departments when fish kill investigations find evidence of pfiesteria algae, a department spokesman said.
Burkholder said she suspects that the killer algae has been in area waters for some time, but the recent kills have been made possible, in part, by the gradual buildup of nitrogen and phosphorus in the waters.
Having both plant and animal traits, the organism lies dormant, or ``encysted,'' in river sediments for much of its life. Then, perhaps by detecting substances excreted by fresh fish, the dinoflagellate becomes active, multiplying rapidly when in the presence of fish.
In its active state, the organism releases a powerful toxin into the water that attacks the nervous system of fish and, ultimately, suffocates them.
When fish encounter the neurotoxin, they behave erratically - holding themselves in unusual positions and trying to gulp air at the surface of the water. While some may survive, most fish die within minutes.
The process takes place so quickly that the algae often are gone from the scene of a kill before researchers arrive to take water samples. MEMO: THE WARNING
The health recommendations, developed by the state Division of
Epidemiology, list 10 precautions people should take in the event of any
fish kill linked to pfiesteria piscimorte, or the fish killer algae in
North Carolina coastal waters:
Do not consume any part of a fish with sores or other indication of
disease;
Do not collect for consumption dead or dying fish (floaters);
Do not use fish harvested in a dead, dying or diseased state to feed
domestic animals or as bait;
When there is uncertainty about the cause and side effects of a fish
kill, maximum personal protection can be achieved by avoiding
consumption of any fish, shellfish or crabs harvested in the immediate
vicinity of the fish kill;
Do not swim in waters proximate to a fish kill. This advice also
applies to other recreational activities which would involve skin
contact with the waters of a fish kill site;
Persons whose work requires water contact should postpone such work
in the vicinity of an ongoing fish kill. If water contact cannot be
postponed, protective gear should be used;
Items that have been immersed in the waters of a fish kill site
should be handled with suitable protective gear such as gloves;
A person who falls into the water at a fish kill site or who has
another major unprotected water contact should wash the exposed areas
with soap and clean water and change any wet clothing;
Pets should not be allowed to swim in the vicinity of a fish kill;
Any person who experiences illness which they think may be related to
exposures at a fish kill is advised to promptly seek medical attention.
Because of the fleeting nature of this organism and the
classification of this event as a health warning, there will be no
posting of signs at fish kill sites.
Source: N.C. Department of Health, Division of Epidemiology.
ILLUSTRATION: NOTICE
Because of the fleeting nature of this organism and the
classification of this event as a health warning, there will be no
posting of signs at fish kill sites.
by CNB