Jellyfish stings in Australia can cause pain, paralysis and death for swimmers with exposed skin. Numerous venomous species of jellyfish occur in Australian waters, including the box jellyfish and Irukandji Jellyfish. Box jellyfish are believed to have caused at least 69 deaths since record keeping began in 1883. [1] [2] Although they are commonly mistaken for jellyfish, bluebottles are actually siphonophores.
Irukandji are rarely found outside Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Between 1985 and 1997 from cases of Irukandji sting where location was recorded, there were 83.4% in Queensland, 9.1% in the Northern Territory, and 7.5% in Western Australia; 81.5% of cases occurred in the afternoon. [3] In a fourteen-year period there were 660 Irukandji stings in Australia, which were recorded by Dr Fenner, a medical officer with Surf Lifesaving Australia. [4] There were 159 Irukandji stings reported in Broome in a five-year period with 25% of those stung being hospitalised but no recorded deaths. [5] There were 62 people reported being stung by Irukandji in Cairns in 1996; of these more than half occurred in December, 92% were stung on hotter than average days, with 63% occurring while swimming inside a stinger net enclosure on the beach. [6] In summer 2001–02 there were 160 people stung by the middle of February, with around 100 of these in Cairns, and between 10 and 20 in Townsville, the Whitsundays, Great Keppel and Agnes Water. [7]
Northern Territory hospitals report approximately 40 jellyfish stings annually. [8]
This is a list of fatal jellyfish stings that occurred in Australian territorial waters by decade in reverse chronological order.
 |
| Name | Age | Year | Month | Species | State or Territory | Location; Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed boy | 14 | 2022 | February | Chironex Fleckeri | Queensland | Eimeo Beach, Mackay. |
| Unnamed boy | 17 | 2021 | February | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Cape York. Patterson Point, near Bamaga. |
| Unnamed victims | 74 and 76 | 2016 | November | Irukandji (suspected, not confirmed) | Queensland | Michelmas Cay. Two French tourists died within 10 minutes of each other. Hypothesis formed by cardiologist. Dismissed as speculation by tour operator. [9] |
| Unnamed boy | 6 | 2007 | November | Chironex fleckeri | Northern Territory | [8] |
| Unnamed girl | 7 | 2006 | January | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Umagico Beach near Bamaga. [10] |
| Unnamed boy | 7 | 2003 | March | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Wongaling Beach near Cairns, [2] stung on chest and neck. Allegedly the 68th person in Australia known to have died from a chironex fleckeri sting since records began in 1883. [11] |
| Unnamed male | 44 | 2002 | April | Queensland | Port Douglas [12] [11] [13] | |
| Unnamed male | 58 | 2002 | January | Irukandji | Queensland | Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands [12] [13] |
| Unnamed boy | 5 | 2000 | January | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Yarrabah, near Cairns [11] |
| Name | Age | Year | Month | Species | State or Territory | Location; Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed boy | 5 | 1987 | January | box jellyfish | [14] | |
| Unnamed boy | 6 | 1984 | January | box jellyfish | Queensland | Lockhart River, 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of Cooktown. [15] |
| Unnamed boy | 5 | 1980 | December | Queensland | Wongaling, near Tully. Animals were observed by victim's older brother. [16] | |
| Unnamed woman | 26 [16] | 1971 | November | Queensland | North Mission Beach. Investigated by Dr J. S. Barnes of Cairns. [17] | |
| Gregory Noel Jarrot | 12 | 1971 | January | Queensland | Seaforth Beach, 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Mackay. [18] | |
| Terence Barney | 5 | 1965 | January | Queensland | Mornington Island, Gulf of Carpentaria. Aboriginal boy was pronounced DOA at hospital. [19] | |
| Paul Haritos | 6 | 1964 | Chironex fleckeri | Northern Territory | Mica Beach, four miles from Darwin. Victim was standing in calf-deep water. Collapsed instantly and died quickly. [20] | |
| Unnamed girl | 1963-64 | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Occurred "a few months earlier" than the Paul Haritos incident. [20] | ||
| Lynette Mary Starkey | 11 | 1957 | Queensland | North Mission Beach, Queensland. [21] Stung on the legs while bathing with other children in shallow water. Collapsed on the beach and died. Weals visible on her legs. [22] | ||
| Unnamed boy | 1955 | box jellyfish or sea wasp [23] | Queensland | Cardwell [14] | ||
| Clarke William Currow | 8 | 1954 | February | Northern Territory | Darwin, close to Larrakeyah army barracks, three yards from shore. [24] [25] Died a few minutes after being stung. [26] [27] | |
| James Ernest Lane | 33 | 1953 | July | box jellyfish (definitely not a Portuguese Man o' War) | Queensland | Saltwater Creek, Townsville. [14] [28] [29] [30] Victim experienced severe pain, paralysis and frothing at the mouth. [31] |
| Unnamed victim | 1951 | box jellyfish | Queensland | Kissing Point Baths, Townsville [14] | ||
| Wojcik Czestaw | 31 | 1950 | Chironex fleckeri | Northern Territory | Mindil Beach, Darwin. [32] Died within minutes of being stung. Specimen was collected and identified by Frank McNeill, curator of invertebrates at the Australian Museum. Victim's name was also reported as Wokeik (rather than Wojcik). [33] | |
| Brian Andrew McNamara | 10 | 1949 | December | box jellyfish | Queensland | North Mission Beach near Tully. [14] [34] [35] [36] [21] |
| Unnamed man | 1944 | January | sea wasp [37] | Northern Territory | Victim was a serviceman. [38] | |
| Robert Ernest Day | 8 | 1941 | Queensland | Rowe's Bay, Townsville. [39] Boy died en route to hospital. [39] | ||
| Unnamed boy | 1939 | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Googarra and Proserpine. [14] [40] | ||
| Thomas "Tommy" Frederick Chandler | 11 | 1938 | March | sea wasp [37] | Northern Territory | Lameroo Beach, Darwin. Government baths. Stung on chest, body and face. [41] Jellyfish specimen was collected for analysis. [42] Victim's name was also reported as Robert Chandler. [43] Chandler died 15–20 minutes after being stung. [44] A boy called Bennie Babun who went to his rescue was also stung and hospitalised. [45] Others stung during prior fortnight were treated with morphine. [46] |
| David William Taylor | 19 | 1937 | box jellyfish | Queensland | Bramston Beach near Babinda, Cairns. [14] Stung while in waist-deep water. Assisted from the water by George Giffin but collapsed and died thereafter. [47] | |
| Salvatore Cantarella | 1934 | box jellyfish[ citation needed ] | Queensland | Googarra Beach, near Tully. [14] [48] [49] [50] Marks on right leg and left foot. Believed to have died of shock and heart failure after the sting. Post-mortem conducted by Dr. A. R. Townsend. [51] | ||
| Maurice Woods | 7 | 1930 | January | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Magnetic Island, near Townsville. [52] |
| "Mr. Mann" | 1923 | February | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Proserpine [14] [53] [54] | |
| Charles Trenaman | 15 | 1916 | March | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Rowes Bay, near Townsville [55] Stung on neck, body, shoulder and legs. Died about 10 minutes later from "nerve shock from pain". [55] |
| Albert George | 1911 | May | Queensland | Cannon Valley beach, Pioneer Bay, near Mackay. [56] [57] [58] Arms attached to the boy's belly, torso and arms. Victim lost consciousness and died within half an hour. [59] Open bathing at this location was prohibited after this second death within 6 months. [60] | ||
| Gould | 1910-11 | Queensland | Occurred during Christmas holiday period. Cannon Valley beach, Pioneer Bay, near Mackay. [58] |
| Name | Age | Year | Month | Species | State or Territory | Location; Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Harwood | 14 | 1892 | November | Chironex fleckeri | Northern Territory | Sea baths, Darwin [61] [62] |
| Unnamed victim | 1885 | January | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Townsville [63] | |
| Frederick William Smith | 11 | 1884 | December | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Ross Creek, Townsville [64] [14] |
| Unnamed victim | 8 | 1879 | c. April | Chironex fleckeri | Queensland | Cleveland Bay, Townsville [65] |
Box jellyfish are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their box-like body. Some species of box jellyfish produce potent venom delivered by contact with their tentacles. Stings from some species, including Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi, Malo kingi, and a few others, are extremely painful and often fatal to humans.
Irukandji syndrome is a condition that results from envenomation by certain box jellyfish. In rare instances the sting may result in cardiac arrest and death. The most common jellyfish involved is the Carukia barnesi, a species of Irukandji jellyfish. Those stung may experience severe or even excruciating pain.
Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as the Australian box jelly, and nicknamed the sea wasp, is a species of extremely venomous box jellyfish found in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea to Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. It has been described as "the most lethal jellyfish in the world", with at least 64 known deaths in Australia from 1884 to 2021.
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The Irukandji jellyfish are any of several similar, extremely venomous species of rare jellyfish. With a very small adult size of about a cubic centimetre, they are both the smallest and one of the most venomous jellyfish in the world. They inhabit the northern marine waters of Australia, and cost the Australian government $AUD 3 billion annually through medical costs associated with stings and tourism losses. This type of jellyfish reproduces sexually with eggs and sperm. They fire their stingers into their victim, causing a condition known in humans as Irukandji syndrome, which can be fatal and difficult to immediately recognise due to the delayed effects of the venom. There are about 16 known species of Irukandji, of which Carukia barnesi, Malo kingi, Malo maxima, Malo filipina and Malo bella are the best known.
Malo is one a genus of box jellies in the family Carybdeida in the Phylum Cnidaria. It has four known species, three of which were described by the Australian marine biologist Lisa-Ann Gershwin. The genus was discovered in 2005. Many of the species are known for their paralytic and deadly affect. Many species in the Malo genus are very small and hard to capture and study. Many species of Malo have been captured on the Western and Eastern cost of Australia. Malo appear to be solidarity jellies.
Malo kingi or the common kingslayer is a species of Irukandji jellyfish. It was first described to science in 2007, and is one of four species in the genus Malo. It has one of the world's most potent venoms, even though it is no bigger than a human thumbnail. As an Irukandji, it can cause Irukandji syndrome, characterized by severe pain, vomiting, and rapid rise in blood pressure.
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