Pfiesteria: Cell from Hell
An unusual single celled organism that seems to flourish in polluted waters is being blamed for massive fish kills in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and North Carolina. The disease agent is called Pfiesteria, and scientiests have dubbed it the cell from hell. Now, some researchers, anglers and divers suspect it may also harm humans. The pfiesteria outbreak has become so widespread that no less than four various government bodies are looking into its causes and ways to control it. Reporter Diane Toomey begins her story near the site of one of the earliest reported Pfiesteria outbreaks, on North Carolina’s Neuse River.
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