LONDON --
A potentially lethal micro-organism, dubbed the "cell from hell," has begun to
invade the North Sea. The cells, called pfiesteria piscicida, were originally a harmless
plant. But in North Carolina, pollution has caused pfiesteria to mutate into a highly
toxic killer preying on fish.
When pfiesteria attacks, it uses its poison to stun the fish, who lose all orientation. Then the organism proceeds to eat the fish alive. American fishermen complain that pfiesteria kills millions of fish. Marine experts warn that the same could happen in the North Sea.
Humans became targets too. More and more people living and working along the U.S. coast began to suffer from open sores which would not heal, had headaches and memory loss. The culprit: pfiesteria. In one experiment, pfiesteria cells were put into human blood. They immediately attacked and swallowed all blood cells.
The organism is almost indestructible. When pfiesteria cysts are put into sulphuric acid they survive for 30 minutes. A human body thrown into sulphuric acid would quickly dissolve.