Horseshoe crab poisoning

Kanchanapongkul J, Krittayapoositpot P. An epidemic of tetrodotoxin poisoning following ingestion of the horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 26 364-367, 1995. 

Poisonings due to ingestion of horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicaudd) eggs have occasionally been reported in Thailand (Smith, 1933 Tiammeth, 1953 Trishnananda et al, 1966). The symptoms of the victims were mostly similar to these caused by TTX or paralytic shellfish poisons (PSPs). The responsible toxin was identified as PSP as the major toxin, with a minor unknown toxin (Fusetani et al, 1982, 1983). C. rotundicauda toxin was known to consist of mainly TTX, anhydroTTX, and only a small amount of saxitoxin (STX) and neosaxitoxin (neoSTX) (Kungsuwan et al, 1987). 

Puffer poisoning occurs when people always intentionally consume toxic specimen or its tissues. In many cases, the consumers cannot differentiate the toxic puffer species, the strong toxic parts of puffer, and other TTX-bearing animals (toxic gobies, gastropods, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and so on). Hence, TTX-associated poisoning incidents do not minimize or prevent. 

Trishnananda, M., Tuchinda, C., Yipinsoi, T., and Oonsombat, P. 1966. Poisoning following the ingestion of the horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. Report of four cases in Thailand. 

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