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A British tourist has been rushed to hospital after being bitten by a species of toxic pufferfish that is plaguing a Greek island.
The woman was bitten while in the water at Kalamaki in Zante and was forced to seek urgent treatment at a private clinic.
She told medics that she had been bitten by a monkfish and was given first aid for the wound.
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she → see → wound
The incident is being investigated, according to port authority sources.
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incident → investigate → sources
But it is thought the real culprit could be a razor-toothed silver-cheeked toadfish, a species of pufferfish which is spreading across the Mediterranean.
uncertain
which → think → Mediterranean
The invasive species has been spotted across Greece, where panicked officials are rushing to erect extensive sea barriers to keep them away from swimmers.
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officials → spot → swimmers
With fang-like teeth that can tear through bone, wood and metal, the Greek Red Cross issued an urgent alert over the aggressive invasive species.
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Cross → tear → species
As well as a savage bite, the pufferfish's flesh and organs are potentially lethal as it contains the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, which can cause heart and lung failure if eaten.
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which → contain → failure
Although typically found in the Indian Ocean, the species has invaded the Mediterranean after it is believed they followed warming seas by swimming up through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea.
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they → find → Sea
The dangerous silver-cheeked toadfish has been spotted across the Mediterranean, with fang-like teeth that can tear through bone, wood and metal
Fishermen have complained of the pufferfish decimating their catch and their nets, while reports of attacks on humans are becoming more common
Scientists believe this spread has been caused by climate change, which has resulted in warmer waters and rising salinity in the sea.
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which → spot → sea
In June, an elderly Greek woman was left needing stitches after one of the fishes unexpectedly lunged at her in Varkiza near Athens.
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one → leave → Athens
Clean water and soap should be used to clean the wound and to apply heavy pressure with a piece of gauze or clean cloth, before seeking professional medical help, The Sun reported.
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Sun → use → help
Already, 2.5km of a floating barrier has been installed in some bays along Evia, Greece's second largest island.
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km → float → Evia
'If one of them bites you, it will simply cut off your finger.
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it → bite → finger
They destroy the sea.
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They → destroy → sea
They don't leave anything behind,' a Greek fisherman, Alexis Charalampakis, said.
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fisherman → leave → anything
'It's an omnivorous fish that eats everything it encounters,' added 65-year-old fisherman Giannis Giankakis.
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Giankakis → eat → everything
'Nothing seems to bother it, because it has no natural predators among other fish,' he added.
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he → seem → fish
Videos have surfaced online showing how strong the animal's bite is, with its teeth tearing through Coca-Cola and beer cans.
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teeth → surface → cans
Videos have surfaced online showing how strong the animal's bite is, with its teeth tearing through cola and beer cans
Fishermen in the Mediterranean have already warned that the pufferfish have been heavily damaging their nets
Their beak-like mouth has also left many fisherman's nets in tatters, with one saying: 'If this wasn't my boat, I'd quit this profession for good.
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I → surface → profession
'The situation is dire...we cannot survive.'
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we → survive → ?
'It took me two days to fix these nets.
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It → take → nets
I took them out this morning, another 20 holes.
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I → take → them
'
'The job gets worse every year,' said 53-year-old fisherman Kostis Zevelekakis.
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Zevelekakis → get → ?
Historical records also show the silver-cheeked pufferfish has long maintained a stable presence along the coasts of countries including Libya and Syria.
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pufferfish → show → Libya
One dog became violently sick after licking the invasive species on a beach in Netanya, Israel.
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dog → become → Netanya
'She could barely walk, was disoriented and began showing symptoms of neurological damage,' the owner said in an interview with Ynet News.
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owner → walk → News
The dog was brought to the vet and sedated and placed on a ventilator.
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dog → bring → ventilator
According to veterinarians, she arrived in time and survived the poisoning.
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she → accord → poisoning
The owner said she had spotted 'many dead pufferfish along the shore during our walk'.
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she → say → walk
The Aporia
