Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108407

Barbara Kirkpatrick, EdD¹, Dana Dalpra, BS¹, Lora E. Fleming, MD PhD, MPH, MSc², Lorraine C. Backer, PhD, MPH³, Judy A. Bean, PhD⁴, Robert Tamer, MPH MPA⁴, Gary Kirkpatrick, PhD⁵, Adam Wanner, MD⁶, Andrew Reich, MS, MSPH⁷, Terrance Kane, MD⁸, and Daniel G. Baden, PhD⁹. (1) Ecotoxicology and Human Health, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941 388 4441, bkirkpat@mote.org, (2) NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, (3) National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS F-46, Chamblee, GA 30341, (4) Biostatics Division, Childrens Hospital of Cincinnati, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, (5) Phytoplankton Ecology, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, (6) Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, PO Box 016069, Miami, FL 33101, (7) Division of Environmental Health, Florida Dept of Public Health, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399, (8) Lung Associates of Sarasota, 1895 Floyd Street, Sarasota, FL 34239, (9) Center for Marine Science Research, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1 Marvin K. Ross Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409

Human exposure to Florida red tides, Karenia brevis, occurs from eating contaminated shellfish and inhaling aerosolized brevetoxins. Recent studies have documented acute symptom changes and pulmonary function responses after inhalation of the toxic aerosols, particularly among asthmatics.

This study examined whether the presence of a Florida red tide affected hospital emergency room admissions in Sarasota, FL. Respiratory admission data were compared in 2001 during a 3 month onshore red tide and during the same 3 month period in 2002 without a red tide bloom based on intensive environmental monitoring. There was a 19% increase in the age adjusted rates of pneumonia admissions diagnosed during the red tide period compared with the non red tide period. When home zip codes were separated by coastal (within 1.6 km from the shore) vs inland (greater than 1.6 km), coastal residents during red tide period had a significant increase (54%) in age adjusted admission rates compared to coastal residents during the no red tide period. Admission rates were increased for pneumonia (31%), bronchitis (56%), asthma (44%), and upper airway disease (64%) for the coast but not the inland residents. Even during the red tide period, the coastal residents had an increased risk of emergency room admission for all respiratory conditions compared with the inland residents.

These results suggest that the healthcare community has a significant burden from patients needing emergency medical care for both acute and potentially chronic respiratory illnesses during onshore red tide blooms, particularly for coastal residents.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the documented effects of marine toxins on human health
• Evaluate environmental data and emergency room admission data for Florida red tide human health effects
• Describe the possible effects of environmental exposure to Florida red tide aerosols on respiratory admissions to emergency rooms

Keywords: Toxicants, Asthma

Related Web page: www.mote.org/niehsredtidestudy/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.