SCIENTISTS may have found the link between irukandji deaths and a bigger, more deadlier species of the jellyfish.
There are several species of irukandji but the exact species thought to have killed two people since 2002 has remained elusive.
But in a ground-breaking discovery, scientists believe they have pinpointed the jellyfish responsible for killing American tourist Robert King off Port Douglas eight years ago – a well-known species of irukandji in a previously undiscovered, mature state.
The jellyfish species, Carukia barnesi, has been found as far south as Fraser Island, and confirmation that it may be a killer could have implications for the tourism industry.
The revelation comes as Far North Queensland enters its low-risk stinger season. Mr King, 44, died in hospital from irukandji syndrome after being stung while snorkelling off Port Douglas in March 2002.
The stinging cells collected from his skin were not found to belong to any known jellyfish species at the time.
Peter Pereira from Cairns Base Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine was able to compare the samples from Mr King’s skin to samples from Carukia barnesi recently caught at Lizard and Double islands, the Whitsundays, and Fraser Island.
"At first we couldn’t actually match these stinging cells with anything," Dr Pereira said.
"But it appears the Carukia barnesi, which we’ve known for about 50-60 years, actually changes as it becomes bigger, going from a very simple animal that kills tiny little fish to this bigger animal that probably attacks more complicated, larger fish and changes its venom to do that."
The joint Queensland Health, James Cook University, NSW Health and WA Health, and the Queensland Emergency Medicine Research Foundation study, was recently detailed inClinical Toxicology.
All previous Carukia barnesi specimens measured less than 20mm in diameter. The mature jellyfish detailed in the study all measured more than 20mm.
