Gatineau home decontaminated after family sickened by toxic coral

Workers in Hazmat suits and gas masks decontaminated a house in Gatineau, Que., Saturday morning after a family of seven became seriously ill following their exposure to toxic coral from their aquarium.

The dramatic scene on the quiet residential street looked like a scene out of an episode of the TV seriesBreaking Bad, with a large white trailer parked in their driveway and workers dressed head-to-toe in protective gear, carefully dumping toxic substances into large steel drums.

Last weekend, Jason Laframboise, 31,was transferring live Australian zoanthid coral specimens he bought from a hobbyistinto a massive1,100-litre saltwateraquarium when he started to feel ill.

He went to the hospital suffering fromchest pain, breathing difficulties and the shakes. Six other family members were also quarantined inhospital.

This type of zoanthid can contain a harmful substance calledpalytoxin, which was apparentlyreleased into the air when Laframboise handled it, causing the family to become sick.

One Torontocoral grower has told CBC News thatzoanthidsare "one of the most toxic things in the aquarium industry."

On Saturday Laframboise's home was still surrounded by red caution tape as crews packaged up the hazardous materials from inside his home.

The whole ordeal has been surreal for Laframboise, his wife who is six months pregnant and their three kids.

'I feel like we're going to have a home again'

"It was really stressful. We didn't realize all thenecessities that we have and once they're taken away, you really realize that leaving with just the clothes on your back is hard," he said from his neighbour's front lawn Saturday, as he watched the crews working.

Laframboise said it took more than four days to get answersabout what would be done to decontaminate his home.

He said he was eventually informed he'dhave to remove his carpets and other soft fabric items from his home because they might be contaminated.

The family, Laframboisesaid, is staying at a neighbour's house as he waits to hear from his insurance company.

"I feel relieved. I feel like we're going to have a home again in maybe a week's time," he said.

Pierre Corriveau, chemist and operations manager at MD-UN, and his crew removed the coral from the home so that they could be safely transported to a facility for safe disposal.

A private company, MD-UN is commonly called in for emergency cleanups of hazardous goods from tanker collisions and derailments. The company helpedclean up the Lac Mgantic disaster in 2013.

But this is the first time,Corriveau said, that he'dbeen called in to deal with a family's home aquarium.

Toxic coral reported in Texas

Keith Hamilton, co-owner of Marinescape, a saltwater aquariumretailer in west Ottawa, said he's going to stop selling zoanthid because of what happened to the Gatineaufamily.

"Up until today, really, this is unheard of," he said, adding that he was surprised the family became ill becauseLaframboisesaid he was extra cautious when handling the specimens.

More regulations are needed on the sale of this type of coralbecause of how dangerous they can be when handled, even with care, according to Hamilton.

"I don't want to be involved in their distribution anymore at least that particular genus."

On Friday, a Texas woman was reportedly hospitalized for nearly two days after cleaningpalythoacorals from her saltwater aquarium using a toothbrush.