State and County health agencies warn about consuming recreationally harvested shellfish
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health issued an advisory about not consuming sport or recreationally harvested shellfish due to dangerous levels of paralytic poisoning toxins detected in mussels in Santa Barbara County.
Commercially harvested shellfish that you might get in a restaurant or at a grocery store can be safely consumed because commercial harvesters are certified by the state public health department and face strict testing requirements for toxins for all shellfish -such as oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops- before entering the marketplace detailed the Santa Barbara County Health Department in a press release about the state advisory Thursday.
To stay safe, the public should not eat sport or recreationally harvested bivalve shellfish during the summer months and until the quarantine is lifted advised the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
The advisory was issued to prevent paralytic shellfish poisoning and domoic acid poisoning -also known as amnesic shellfish poisoning- in people who might consume harvested shellfish that are not subject to testing explained the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
According to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, both syndromes are naturally occurring toxins linked to plankton consumed by shellfish, including mussels and clams, and notably, cooking does not destroy those toxins.
Early signs of paralytic shellfish poisoning include tingling of lips and tongue that can start within minutes of eating toxic shellfish shared the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
That tingling is typically followed by a loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing detailed the California Department of Public Health.
The state public health agency warns that in severe cases, the poisoning can result in muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation.
You can get the latest information on shellfish advisories by visiting this interactive map or calling the California Department of Public Health's Shellfish Information Line at 800-553-4133 or visiting the state's Marine Biotoxin Monitoring webpage.
For more information or to report a marine mammal in distress, contact the Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute on their rescue hotline at 805-567-1505 or fill out their online rescue form here.
