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‘Diarrhetic’ Type Shellfish Poisoning in Nigeria

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Abstract

The safety of shellfish found and consumed in Nigeria is doubtful because no investigations have been carried out on their toxicity. The occurrence and toxicity of toxins in the commonly consumed Nigerian shellfish from Lagos, Warri, Oron, and Port Harcourt (PH) were investigated. Albino Wistar mice treated with chloroform extract of hepatopancreas (HP) from PH shellfish died 7–8 min post treatment. They convulsed for 30–60 s prior to death. The aqueous phase obtained from the diethyl ether extraction of the same HP resulted in the death of one out of two mice injected with it, 39 min post treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Joseph Eyo of the Fisheries and Hydrobiology Research Unit, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria for identifying the shellfish samples. Thanks to Drs. John Burka and Collins Kamunde, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada for their critical comments of the manuscript. We are grateful for financial support from the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Samuel N. C. Igboeli family.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 4P3

    Okechukwu O. Igboeli

  2. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

    Isaac U. Asuzu

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  1. Okechukwu O. Igboeli
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  2. Isaac U. Asuzu
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Correspondence to Okechukwu O. Igboeli.

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Igboeli, O.O., Asuzu, I.U. ‘Diarrhetic’ Type Shellfish Poisoning in Nigeria. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 84, 15–18 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9885-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9885-3

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