Cyanobacterial toxins

Cyanobacteriumis a photosynthetic bacterium of the classCoccogoneaeorHormogoneae, generally blue-green in colour and in some species capable of nitrogen fixation. It is also calledblue-green alga. Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that effect animals and humans.

The disease due to it varies according to the type of toxin and the type of water or water-related exposure. Humans are affected with a range of symptoms including skin irritation, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, blisters of the mouth and liver damage.

People are mainly exposed to cyanobacterial toxins by drinking or bathing in contaminated water. Some species form a scum on the water. Surface scum, when they occur, represent a specific hazard to human health because of their particularly high toxin contact.

Cyanobacterial toxins in lakes, ponds, and dugouts in various part of the world have been known to cause poisoning in animals and humans. They have been linked to illness in various regions throughout the world, including North and South America, Africa, Australia, Europe, Scandinavia and China. There are no reliable figures for the number of people affected worldwide.

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Sources:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/cyanobacteria/en/
Picture:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2005-12%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=cyanobacteria