Abstract

Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB) has been observed in Chile since the XVIII century, with cases reported in offshore areas and coasts. Since 1972 until recent years, the presence of toxic dinoflagellates has been increasing in more recurring and in larger areas mainly in the regions of Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes. Marine toxins that are mentioned more frequently, which have a major impact on Public Health and on Chile’s economy, belong to the groups of paralytic (PSP), diarrheic (DSP) and amnesic (ASP) shellfish poisoning. The Ministry of Health in Chile is developing and coordinating the National Program of Surveillance and Control of Intoxications from Harmful Algae Blooms (“Red Tide”), with the objective to verify the presence of marine biotoxins and prevent intoxications in the population derived from the consumption of marine resources, (bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods), contaminated by Harmful Algae Phenomenon (“Red Tide”). The Secretarías Regionales Ministeriales de Salud (SEREMIs) develop activities focused in three main roles: Monitoring of the areas of extraction, Product control and Education related to this field. The analysis are carried out by the regional laboratories with the analytical capacity, establishing the Laboratory of Marine Biotoxins of the Institute of Public Health of Chile to accomplish the role of National Reference Laboratory, performing confirmation if is needed, settle results if necessary and and perform the seafood analysis from regions which do not dispose of analytical capacity. In the year 2013 the network of marine biotoxins laboratories of the country carried out 40.387 analysis, 33.181 for PSP, 4.806 for DSP and 2.400 for ASP. In the Aysén Region, only 1 case was registered as intoxication by PSP derived from the consumption of seafood obtained from an area under extraction restriction. From the analytical point of view, Chile is facing the challenge of implementing the identification, detection and quantification of DSP through the HPLC MS/MS method with the purpose of determining the presence of chemical compounds belonging to the complex group DSP. This method has the advantage of confirming each species of lipophilic toxins, which in turn cannot be accomplished with the mouse bioassay. It will also allow facing and harmonizing the sanitary regulations and changes in international regulations, mainly from the European Union.