Overview of Marine Bites and Stings

ByRobert A. Barish, MD, MBA, University of Illinois at Chicago;
Thomas Arnold, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Reviewed/Revised Jan 2022
View Patient Education

    Some marine bites and stings are toxic, such as those inflicted by

    All create wounds are at risk of infection with marine organisms, most notably Vibrio species, Aeromonas species, and Mycobacterium marinum.

    Shark bites result in jagged lacerations with near-total or total amputations and should be treated in the same way as other major trauma (see Evaluation and Treatment of the Trauma Patient).

    (See also Fish and Shellfish Poisoning.)

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