A number of tourists in Puri for the Holi weekend reported skin problems thanks to coming in contact with jellyfish-like things floating in the sea.

Jellyfish, along with hydroids and corals among others, are members of the Cnidaria phylum. They are an integral part of the marine ecosystem and have an increasing demand in the global seafood market as well as a source of income for fishermen. They are also poisonous.

“I felt a sticky jelly-like thing on my skin that was thick and transparent, and later developed itching on my skin. I suspect jellyfish as the reason,” a tourist was quoted as saying.

Another tourist, Kaushalendra Shukla from Chhattisgarh, told TV channels: “I felt something while swimming and later found out they were jellyfish. I felt unbearable pain.”

Dr Narayan Prasad Nanda, Puri’s additional district public health Officer (disease control), told The Telegraph Online that the administration was not sure of the total number of patients yet.

“We have treated more than 50 patients this week with symptoms like itching and mild pain in the skin. They have felt a jelly-like substance in their body. We are planning to send the skin samples to ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar on Monday. We are currently in discussion with the authorities,” Nanda said.

This is not the first time jellyfish have been reported from Puri. Dead jellyfish swarms were found in April last year, in June 2022 and also in May 2021 before cyclone Yaas hit the coastal region of Odisha.

Coming in contact with jellyfish can cause skin problems like a burning sensation or itching, and erythematic wheals. Erythematic wheals are red swollen areas in the skin that are itchy. They are also a symptom of hives or urticaria.

This process can also happen if the jellyfish is dead.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Jellyfish are sea creatures that live in all of the world’s oceans. They have soft, bell-shaped bodies with lengthy, finger-like structures called tentacles. Jellyfish have stinging cells called nematocysts inside of their tentacles. A single tentacle may contain thousands of nematocysts. Nematocysts contain a poisonous substance (venom) that helps jellyfish protect themselves.”

The nature and extent of skin reaction when stung by a jellyfish depends on the type of the jellyfish, the age and health of the victim, the area of sting, and the duration of time the venom has been in the body.

A few types of jellyfish are lion’s mane, sea nettle, and box jellyfish.

A jellyfish sting can look like a red, brown or purple rash, and among other symptoms include muscle cramps, difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, difficulty in swallowing.

Several instances of itchy, bumpy red rashes have also been observed in people after a few days of being stung by jelly fish.

It is advisable to check with the lifeguards or the authorities if the sea has jellyfish, and wear bodysuits to protect from the stings.

Last year, scientists of the bioscience department of the Saurashtra University in Gujarat’s Rajkot identified a new species of jellyfish.