Pfiesteria

noun

Pfie·​ster·​ia fē-ˈstir-ē-ə How to pronounce Pfiesteria (audio) fis-ˈtir- How to pronounce Pfiesteria (audio)
: a genus of dinoflagellates including one (Pfiesteria piscicida) found in waters especially along the middle and southern Atlantic coast of the United States that produces a toxin which causes skin lesions in fish, that feeds upon the lesions sometimes causing large fish die-offs, and that may cause symptoms (as skin lesions and memory loss) in humans exposed to the toxin

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Cite this Entry

“Pfiesteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Pfiesteria. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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