UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, LOBSTER - USA: (NEW YORK)
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
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International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: 24 Aug 2010
Source: South Coast Today [edited]
<http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100824/NEWS21/8240332>
Scientists say they're not sure why about 30 percent of lobsters in eastern Long Island Sound have a disease that's causing their shells to waste away.
Researchers say the main question is why the lobsters can't defend themselves against the bacterial attack of shell disease, which doesn't affect their meat but usually lands them in canning factories because of their unsightly shells.
Hans Laufer, a University of Connecticut research professor of molecular and cellular biology, told the Connecticut Post that chemicals known as alkylphenols that are used to make plastics and detergents are being found in lobster body tissues.
Laufer says the chemicals are toxic and interfere with lobsters'
shell development.
Other scientists are looking at bacterial agents.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[This article provides no new information from when the disease was posted in 2005. The question becomes, what attacks the shell initially, the chemicals or the bacteria? If it is bacteria, why are we seeing it now instead of some earlier time, such as in the 1990s?
If it is a chemical, could we ask the same question, or has the concentration of the chemicals changed over 10, or 15 or 20 years? Do we even know whether this chemical was around 20 years or more ago?
If it is the chemical, what level is harmful?
At this stage, it seems there are more questions than answers. - Mod.TG]
[see also:
2005
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Undiagnosed disease, lobster - USA (New England) 20050217.0533] ...............................................sb/tg/msp/mpp
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