Microbiological Coastal Risks and Monitoring Systems - Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystems and Adaptation - page 100

Different thermoresistant neurotoxins are responsible for
poisoning, which can be very serious: Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
(ASP) toxins, Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins and
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins. Depending on the toxins,
the symptoms are intestinal pains, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis and
comas. The most serious forms of poisoning are responsible for
neurotoxic shock and death.

3.2.1.5. Significance of infectious diseases linked to coastal
environments for health
Infections in food transmitted by the consumption of sea food in
particular shellfish, are a significant cause of death [GIR 08].

The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) is an index developed in
view of comparing the impact of diseases between themselves
(and between countries) on human health. This index estimates
the number of years of life spent incapacitated following an illness, as
the sum of years potentially lost through premature death and number
of productive years of life lost due to temporary or permanent
incapacity.

Table 3.1 summarizes the data for some widespread infectious
diseases. Diarrhea is the main cause of DALY and loss of human life,
overwhelmingly among children in developing countries.

Percentage of DALY from a total
of infectious illnesses, births,
neonatal complications and food

Infectious
diseases

DALY (millions of days
per year)

Diarrhea 73 4.8

Malaria 34 2.3

Intestinal
infections from
nematodes

4 0.3

Dengue 0.67 0

VIH/SIDA 58 4.1

Table 3.1. DALY of some infectious maladies that can be linked to humid coastal
zones or marine areas. The case of HIV/AIDS is given for comparison (OMS,
statistics from 2004, www.who.int)