Pfiesteria piscicida

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Pfiesteria piscicida

• Monster or merely misunderstood
• By Erica Hudson

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Discovery

• Pfiesteria piscicida was first discovered at
  North Carolina State University where it was
  blamed for a large fish kill in 1988 (Miller and
  Belas 2003).
• Pfiesteria hysteria, which reached a peak in
  1997 (Miller and Belas 2003).
• Because of all of this public attention more
  funding was allotted to research and many
  interesting things have been discovered about
  Pfiesteria piscicida and other dinoflagellates.

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Pfiesteria piscicida

• Phagotrophic dinoflagellates that use a feeding
  tube to prey upon phytoplankton
• JoAnn Burkholder proposed a life history of 19
  stages
• Recent research proposes a simpler life history

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Toxicity

• So far the toxin remains unknown
• Effects on humans include significantly lowers
  learning and higher cognitive functions, skin
  lesions, dizziness, headaches, and short term
  amnesia.
• All symptoms disappeared after 3-6 months of no
  exposure.

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How can blooms be prevented?

• Planktonic ciliates like Strombidium prey upon
  the P. piscicida zoospores and are able to keep
  the population in check even at low numbers.
• Treating nutrient rich waste run-off before it
  reaches the ocean

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References

• Fogg, G.E. Harmful Algae A Perspective.
  Harmful Algae. 1 (2002) p 1-4.
• Gordon, A.S. et al. Comparative toxicity of
  Pfiesteria spp., prolonging a toxicity of P.
  piscisida in culture and evaluation of toxin(s)
  stability. Harmful Algae. 1 (2002) p 85-94
• Grattan, Lynn M. et al. Learning and memory
  difficulties after environmental exposure to
  waterways containing toxin-producing Pfiesteria
  or Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates. The Lancet.
  352 (1998) p 532-539.
• Levin, E.D. et al. Rapid neurobehavioral
  analysis of Pfiesteria piscicida effects in
  juvenile and adult rats. Neurotoxicology and
  Teratology. 22 (2001) p533-540.
• Levin, E.D. et al. Learning impairment caused
  by a toxin produced by Pfiesteria piscicida
  infused into the hippocampus of rats.
  Neurotoxicolgoy and Teratology. 25 (2003) p
  419-426.
• Litaker, R.W. et al. Lifecycle of the
  heterotrophic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida
  (Dinophyceae), Journal of Phycology. 38 (2002)
  p 442-463.
• Miller, Todd R. and Belas, Robert. Pfiesteria
  piscicida, P. shumwayae and other Pfiesteria-like
  dinoflagellates. Research in Microbiology. 154
  (2003) p 85-90.
• Rezvani, Amir H. et al. Specificity of
  cognitive impairment from Pfiesteria piscicida
  exposure in rats attention and visual function
  versus behavioral plasticity. Nuerotoxicology
  and Teratology. 23 (2001) p 609-616.
• Setala, Outi. et al. Predator-prey interactions
  between a planktonic ciliate Strombidium
  (Ciliophora, Oligotrichida) and the
  dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida
  (Dinamoebailes, Pyrrophyta). Harmful Algae. 4
  (2005) p 235-247.
• Swinker, Marian. et al. Human Health effects of
  exposure to Pfiesteria piscicida a review.
  Microbes and Infection. 4 (2002) p 751-762.