Does the Portuguese man o' war really have potent venom? Understanding its toxicity

The Portuguese man o' war gets its name because its shape resembles the hat of a monk, and it is also called the Portuguese man o' war because its bladder-like part closely resembles a 16th-century Portuguese warship. It lives in tropical oceans, leading a planktonic life, and is often blown to the shore by wind or carried along by ocean currents. It feeds on tiny organisms and organic matter. Let's take a look below at whether the Portuguese man o' war really has potent venom!

Does the Portuguese man o' war really have potent venom?

The Portuguese man o' war's weapon of death is its tentacles, and the deadly toxin is secreted by the tiny nematocysts in the tentacles. Although the toxin secreted by a single nematocyst is negligible, the potency of the toxin accumulated by thousands upon thousands of nematocysts is no less than that of any venomous snake in the world today. The toxin it secretes is a neurotoxin, and over time the effects of the toxin gradually worsen. In addition to suffering severe pain, the victim also experiences a sudden drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, gradual loss of consciousness, and systemic shock, and ultimately dies from pulmonary circulatory failure.

Cases of Portuguese man o' war stings

In 1964, a retired businessman named Cleiman was unfortunately stung by a Portuguese man o' war while swimming. Although he tried his utmost to escape back to the beach, he was already unconscious, and despite the doctors' all-out efforts to save him, he could not be brought back.

In 2000, 68% of swimmers stung by the Portuguese man o' war died, and a considerable portion of the 32% who survived were disabled as a result. Only a very few lucky ones were able to escape completely unscathed from the clutches of this "jellyfish."

In 2008, the coast of the United Kingdom was invaded by the highly venomous Portuguese man o' war. A 7-year-old boy was stung on the leg by a Portuguese man o' war while playing by the sea. His parents immediately took him to the hospital. Witnesses said the boy screamed in pain continuously after being attacked.

What should you do if you are stung by a Portuguese man o' war?

1. Remove the tentacles: First, if the jellyfish's tentacles are still attached to the skin, try to remove them, but make sure the injured person does not move around. If conditions permit, wear gloves to remove them, or use thick clothing, tweezers, small wooden sticks, etc. to gently separate the jellyfish's tentacles from the skin.

2. Rinse with seawater: Then rinse the stung area with seawater to inhibit the activity of nematocysts on the skin that have not yet fired. Using fresh water has the opposite effect. Any action that changes the balance of salt concentration inside and outside the nematocysts may stimulate the nematocyst capsules to fire and release more venom.

3. Scrape off the nematocysts: If conditions permit, use a small knife, razor, card, or similar object to gently detach the nematocysts from the skin. Before scraping, applying shaving foam or soap lather works better. After scraping them off, rinse again with seawater, vinegar, or a saltwater solution.

4. Take medication: Finally, let the stung area dry naturally. You may take some antihistamine medications such as diphenhydramine, or apply hydrocortisone cream. In follow-up care, the open wound needs to be cleaned every day, and antibiotic ointment should be applied to prevent bacterial infection.