Suffered from stranded dolphins to Alzheimer’s?
About a dozen dolphins are stranded on the beaches of Florida and Massachusetts, have been carefully investigated and were able to poison a widespread Environmental and so-called Amyloid Plaques to be detected in the animals. These are considered to be one of the typical signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
In a recent study of stranded dolphins showed that the animals Amyloid-based Plaques, which are considered to be an indicator for Alzheimer’s. In addition, the scientists found in the bodies of the environmental toxin BMAA. The results of the study were published in the English journal “PLOS ONE”.
What BMAA is?
BMAA is a Neurotoxin, which is produced by algae in the water. As the Toxin passes easily into the food chain of the oceans. It was already suspected for some time that a permanent dietary exposure may be the cause of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The presence of BMAA and Amyloid Plaques in the 13 stranded dolphins supports this hypothesis.
Can dolphins get Alzheimer’s disease?
Dolphins show very well the toxic exposures in the marine environment. So you could have an early toxic stress due to cyanobacteria blooms in coastal waters, which have an impact on human health. They provide a good animal model for BMAA to Alzheimer’s can trigger, explain the researchers. In the year 2017 has already been discovered that dolphins animals are the only known wild, what signs of this common human disease.
Consequences of a BMAA exposure in humans and animals
In the meantime, also dolphins, which live in the coastal waters of Florida are exposed to, often harmful algal blooms. It may just be a coincidence, but experiments have shown that chronic BMAA exposure can trigger neurodegenerative changes in both humans and non-human primates. Acute and chronic exposure to such toxins can be, both for people and for animals is harmful to skin, respiratory disorders, severe Dermatitis, mucous membrane damage, cancer, organ failure and death, explain the researchers.
Global warming is leading to increased algal blooms
Due to the increasing global warming, harmful algal blooms are to be feared more and more frequently, and the authors of the study, in the dolphins even more BMAA can accumulate. This is done both by exposure to the algal blooms, as well as by the consumption of before the cyano-toxin suspended sea animals. Therefore, dolphins can be the first sign of poor environmental conditions and, although it is still not clear whether this flowering in dolphins or humans that leads directly to Alzheimer’s, this is a risk, what should be avoided at all costs. The most important question is whether the dolphins have experienced cognitive deficits and loss of orientation, before they are finally stranded. Until further studies clarify this issue, should take the people all possible steps to a cyanobacteria-avoid exposure to. (as)