Friday, December 11, 2009

Padre Island National Seashore bans dogs from park


Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi, Texas announced that the park is now closed to dogs, since "Visitors choosing to bring their dogs to the National Seashore are putting their dogs at significant risk for severe illness and potentially death."

Several dead coyotes have been found and the park has received reports of dogs becoming ill or dying after visiting the park.

The park has limited information regarding the cause of the deaths, but toxicology reports suggest brevetoxin, acquired from the consumption of fish killed by the recent red tide, may be the cause for the recent coyote and dog mortalities.

Brevetoxin is a toxin produced by dinoflagellates, such as Karenia brevis the dinoflagellate responsible for the recent red tide event. There is no known antidote for the toxin.

The National Park Service (NPS) will advise the public once more information is available.

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