Portuguese Man-O-War (Physalia physalis)

Authorities have said that a woman had a deadly reaction and died after being stung by a jellyfish on an Italian beach.

Maria Farcus, 69, is thought to be the first such case of a person dying of a jellyfish-sting in Europe.

Furcas came up onto the beach and collapsed having suffered what appeared to be anaphylactic shock after being stung by the Portuguese Man-of-war jellyfish. Paramedics rushed onto the scene, but were unable to save her, reported the Daily Mail.

“The lady came out of the water dragging her leg and screaming she had been stung by a jellyfish. There was a very vivid red mark on her right leg. Then she collapsed to the ground and a lifeguard and other people on the beach rushed to help her. … She died on the sand in front of dozens of people” A witness on the scene reported.

Experts have said that they believe that Furcas’s case is the first fatal case in the Mediterranean, despite the fact that thousands are stung each year on the beaches by jellyfish.

Furcas’s death happened just days after more than 700 jellyfish stings were reported along the Costa Blanca in Spain.

“This type of jellyfish has always been present in the Mediterranean but now they are increasing in numbers due to global warming and they can grow tentacles up to 60 feet long,” explained a marine biology lecturer at the University of Lecce, Ferdinando Boero.

Massive amounts of dead fish are covering the beaches of Brazil and roughly 80 tonnes (175 000 lbs) have been removed from the iconic Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro.

The mass death, which seems to have occurred at sea right before the weekend, remains unexplained. Over 100 people are currently trying to rid a 4.5 square kilometer area from rotting fish carcases.
Environmental experts in Rio de Janeiro have suggested that the mass death might be caused by marine algae. The deaths are not limited to any specific species of family of fish.