1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Now we know that's stinger season. Well it has officially 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: begun in the Northern Territory, with venomous box jellyfish more 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: likely to be in the sea until the end of 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: the well the end of May next year, so for 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: quite some time really. Now we know that health authorities 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,240 Speaker 1: are reminding territorians as well well to make sure that 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: you are aware and be extra vigilant around coastal waters 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: as stings can cause excruciating pain or be fatal. Now 9 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: joining me on the line right now is the Royal 10 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: Darwin Hospital Professor of Medicine, Dr Bart Curry. Good morning 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: to you. 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Thanks so much for your. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: Time this morning. Bart. Now what do we need to 14 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: know about box jellyfish? 15 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we'll stinger seasons back again. So the box 16 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: jellyfish enter or breathe and then come out into our 17 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: waters around about this time of year and as you said, 18 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: till the end of May. So the message is do 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: not enter the water, that is the sea water during 20 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: the stinger season. And this advice is particularly for children 21 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: because the last fourteen deaths in the territory since nineteen 22 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: seventy five have all been in children because of their 23 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 2: small body size, and it can be often in very 24 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: very shallow water as the jellyfish come in for feeding 25 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: with the tides, and it's a. 26 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: I guess it's a hard thing to sort of, you know, 27 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: to retrain your brain. After the dry season, there's been 28 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: plenty of people swimming at Nightcliff Beach and you know, 29 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: even at each point you'll see people in the water 30 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: different areas, obviously being monitored as well by life savers. 31 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: But once that water or once you know, the temperatures 32 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: heat up, I assume it becomes a totally different story. 33 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's right. So they have an interesting life 34 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: cycle which appears to be just a one year life cycle. 35 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: And now is the time that the smaller box jellyfish 36 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: have come out of the estuarison will be in the 37 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 2: ocean and getting bigger quite quickly over the next month 38 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: or two. And so of course people are still launching 39 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: boats from the various boat launchers, and so when they 40 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 2: have to be in the water to do that, then 41 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 2: we advise that they wear protective clothing, so anything that 42 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 2: can cover their legs and body, whatever has whatever's actually 43 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: in the water, so stinger suits, but we'd certainly recommend 44 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: that and strong advice that no children actually have any 45 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: contact with the seawater at all. So for adults, they 46 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: may get contact with a bit of jellyfish tentacle, but 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: if it's a small area of skin that's exposed, it 48 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: will be very painful, but it won't be life threatening. 49 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, But so when you talk about about young people, 50 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: about our children, is it more dangerous if they are stung, 51 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: or are they more or is it more prevalent than 52 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: being stung in the first place. 53 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: Look, it has been a combination of both over the years, 54 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: but it's particularly about very small kids who have a 55 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 2: smaller body area. And so the worst scenario is when 56 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: you have a small kid who enters the water and 57 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: there is a fairly largish box jellyfish and with the 58 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 2: streaming tentacles behind, they can wrap around one or two 59 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: or even more than that limbs and also around the trunk. 60 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: And that's when the serious situations occur. And the thing is, 61 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 2: this is the most rapidly acting natural toxin in the world, 62 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: in that if people are going to die, it will 63 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: often happen within even ten minutes, and can certainly within 64 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: thirty minutes. Most of the fatality so it's such a 65 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 2: dramatic and rapid process. So particularly when people have these 66 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: major things, then they'll be screaming and then they may 67 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: lose consciousness. People will get them out of the water, 68 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 2: and then if they have in fact completely collapsed and 69 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: there's no breathing, then people need to begin CPR and Bart. 70 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: Talk us through. I mean, obviously the main thing to 71 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: do is to try not to get stung. But if 72 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: you are unfortunate enough to get stune, what is the 73 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: best course of action. 74 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the first thing is to get out of 75 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: the water, get the person out of the water, and 76 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: assess them for whether they're still conscious and breathing, and 77 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 2: if they are unconscious, that's when, as well as someone 78 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 2: calling triple zero to then begin CPR on the beach. 79 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: And there have been a small number of people into 80 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 2: state where it's thought that CPR has saved their lives 81 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 2: while the ambulances are coming to retrieve them. And then 82 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: it is such a dramatically rapid process that it's very 83 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 2: different from the time course of snake bite or spiders 84 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: and things like that. So it's what happens in those 85 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: first ten minutes is absolutely critical. The vast majority of 86 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 2: people however, will particularly the adults and older kids, will 87 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: just have a lot of pain. And so under those circumstances, 88 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: when it's not life threatening, then the first aid is 89 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: to apply vinegar liberally and then after that, once your 90 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: assess us being safe, then cold cold packs or hot 91 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: water both can be very helpful in relieving the pain. 92 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: But quite often the more severe things need to in hospital. 93 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: The more severe things in hospital need to have ammalgesia 94 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: and all that sort of thing while they're being assessed. 95 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: But in terms of the data, I mean, do you 96 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: have any data on how many people have been stung 97 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: in the NT in recent times? 98 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: Yeah? So we basically each year there's a round about 99 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 2: we hear about around about forty stings and most of 100 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: those are the major box jellyfish. We do have this 101 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 2: other condition called Iracandy syndrome which happens all year round. 102 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 2: Rikandy syndrome is a different scenario where it's not there's 103 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: been no death in the territory ever from that, and 104 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: it's a delayed onset of pain and that happens more 105 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 2: commonly in North Queensland and in the Kimberley around Broom 106 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 2: and that, but in Darwin and Go. That's less common, 107 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: but we still get a couple of those a year, 108 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 2: but mainly it's the major box jellyfish, and we hear 109 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 2: about it around about forty stings, and some of those 110 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 2: will be mine. Are just a person who's out fishing 111 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 2: and there's a bit of a tentacle wrapped around, you know, 112 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 2: the fishing line or something that then has contact with 113 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: a bit of skin. Those people who've been in the 114 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: territory quite a while will know that what they then 115 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 2: need to do as us ice or hot water to 116 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: relieve the pain of that after putting vinegar on. So 117 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: around about forty a year we'd hear about. The last 118 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 2: death that we had in the territory from the major 119 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 2: box sellyfish was in November two thousand and seven in 120 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: one of the offshore islands in a six year old boy. 121 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 2: Real tragedy, and as I'd said, the last fourteen death 122 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: in the NT since nineteen seventy five of all Bellion kids. 123 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 2: There was a death in March twenty twenty one in 124 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: Far North Queensland and another death in February twenty twenty 125 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 2: two in Far North queens and both of those are teenagers. 126 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: Again real tragedies. But we haven't had a death in 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 2: a territory since two thousand and seven, so that's a 128 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 2: good that's a good story. 129 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, we've got to stay vigilant though, right, I mean, 130 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: it sounds like it just sounds frightening and best best 131 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: thing to do, especially with the youngsters, is keep them 132 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: out of the water. 133 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,559 Speaker 2: Yeah. So one of the things is we do tell 134 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 2: people that if they've got if they have neighbors who 135 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,239 Speaker 2: are new to the territory, and if they have friends 136 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: or family visiting, visiting for the first time, provide that 137 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: information to them. So when they see the beautiful sea 138 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 2: that we have out there on those calm days during 139 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 2: the during the wet season, don't ender the water. And 140 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 2: so people some people just don't know why when they're 141 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 2: new here, and also tourists. So we try and make 142 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: sure that everyone's at least heard the message, as have you. 143 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 2: All long term territorianes are aware of that message. But 144 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: if they if someone sees someone entering the water, maybe 145 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 2: some parents with a young kid, then just you know, 146 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 2: politely tell them about the story and that it's something 147 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 2: that they shouldn't be doing. 148 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: Really good advice, well, Royal Dale and Hospital Professor of 149 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: Medicine Curry. Really good to speak with you this morning. 150 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time. 151 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thanks very much, thank you.