GRAYS HARBOR, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Health’s Recreational Shellfish Program issued a biotoxin notice which is closing bivalve shellfish gathering along the Pacific Coast, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Oregon Health Authority reports that at least 20 people have reported symptoms consistent with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). The DOH confirmed that shellfish samples from the last week have elevated levels of PSP.
PSP is a biotoxin that naturally occurs and cannot be killed by cooking or freezing the shellfish it infects. Anyone that harvested clams, cockles, mussels or oysters on the Washington and Oregon coasts over the weekend are urged to throw them away.
WDFW notes that commercially produced shellfish in Washington is safe to eat, as the DOH regularly tests shellfish to prevent contaminated product from reaching suppliers.
If you are experiencing symptoms of PSP, which primarily includes muscle paralysis, tingling of lips, tongue, fingers or toes, difficulty breathing, nausea and a “sense of floating,” call your healthcare provider or 911 if symptoms are severe.
