Tag #Vulcanodinium Rugosum

What caused the skin rash affecting hundreds of Senegalese fishermen in late 2020, and what were the initial public health and economic consequences?

Between November 2020 and December 2021, approximately 1,300 Senegalese fishermen developed a mysterious skin rash after returning from sea. The illness, characterized by urticating pustules, baffled researchers for five years until a specific microalgae, Vulcanodinium rugosum, was identified as the culprit, producing a biotoxin called portimine A. This discovery involved a multinational team of scientists from Senegal, France, Spain, and Singapore.