Significant increase in jellyfish related injuries on Israel's beaches

Over the last two months, some 29 incidents of jellyfish stings have been reported by Magen David Adom, with 16 of those requiring paramedic assistance and further treatment in a hospital.

AT LEAST eight types of Jellyfish populate Israeli waters, most of which don’t sting (photo credit: ZAFRIR KUPLIK)
AT LEAST eight types of Jellyfish populate Israeli waters, most of which don’t sting
(photo credit: ZAFRIR KUPLIK)
There has been an upsurge in jellyfish-related injuries on Israel's beaches, Maariv reported on Thursday.
Over the last two months, some 29 incidents of jellyfish stings have been reported by Magen David Adom (MDA), with 16 of those requiring paramedic assistance and further treatment in a hospital.
In reports, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv noted that only last week, 10 children were treated in Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital due to jellyfish stings, with three needing further hospitalization.
One of these children is Daniel, a two-year-old who went for a swim at a Tel Aviv beach with his parents.
"We were swimming in shallow waters and I noticed a jellyfish but didn't pay it any attention. All of a sudden Daniel started screaming in pain; I realized he was stung by a jellyfish," said Daniel's mother Valeria.
"On our way home, his leg started to swell up, his fever rose and he began shaking. He was hospitalized for several hours," she added.
"The children arrived with severe stings that became chemical burns. One child's fever rose dramatically in a matter of minutes, which indicates severe internal damage," said Ichilov Hospital Director of Toxicology Prof. Miguel Glatstein.
"I would advise to not enter the dangerous jellyfish-ridden waters at this time," he warned.