Media information
For immediate release

Date: 8 October 2009

A dog that recently died after visiting Coromandel's Tapu Beach has tested positive for Tetrodotoxin (TTX) - the same toxin found in dogs and sea slugs recently on Auckland beaches.

Thames Coromandel District Council sought advice from Waikato District Health Board. While the toxin has not affected any humans, Waikato DHB medical officer of health Anita Bell is asking people to exercise caution when visiting the beach.

"We are not suggesting people should stay away from beaches but we are saying that additional precautions should be taken," said Dr Bell.

The following precautions are recommended:

*Children and pets must be closely supervised at all times
*Children and pets should not eat things found on the beach
*Parents need to be aware of where their children are swimming or playing and what they are handling
*People should take care not to touch any sea life (dead or alive) found on the beach
*Sea slugs on any beach must be avoided.

Any person who becomes seriously unwell after going to the beach should see their GP or go to a medical centre.

As there have been deaths in dogs that have exercised on beaches where sea slugs have been found, Thames-Coromandel District Council's environmental services manager Craig Birkett recommends extreme caution at beaches that are on the western side of the peninsula.

Anyone whose dog becomes unwell after visiting a Coromandel beach - or any beach - should seek veterinary advice. Their vet may want to contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) 0800 809966.

If anyone sees anything on the beach resembling a sea slug, they should contact Thames-Coromandel District Council (07) 868 0200.

Further information

Following the death of a dog at Auckland's Narrowneck Beach, sea slugs, both dead and alive, were found at both Narrowneck and Cheltenham beaches.

Both the sea slugs and the vomit from the dead dog were tested and found to contain TTX, which is a known potent poison found in tropical puffer fish but not previously described in sea slugs. TTX is extremely toxic to humans and even a very small dose would be fatal.

Approximately 15 dogs from a wide geographic area within the Hauraki Gulf have become unwell with symptoms consistent with TTX poisoning. Five of these dogs have died.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about this event and the origin of the TTX in the sea slugs is unknown. It is also unknown whether sea slugs can clear TTX from their systems, or if this is a one-off or a recurrent, localised or generalised event.

This means that anyone going to the beach must be cautious.

Sea slugs are a ubiquitous organism, of a very wide range in New Zealand's marine environment.

Stranding of sea slugs may occur anywhere, possibly related to prevailing weather patterns. The coastline is beautiful but it is not hazard-free.

As an example, accidents happen at the beach; not to mention hazards such as stingrays and sharks. There may now be a new risk on our coastline about which we do not yet have complete information.

Information for a First Aid Response for Tetrodotoxin (TTX) Poisoning is available on the ARPHS website: http://www.arphs.govt.nz

ENDS