Health officials issue warning not to eat sport-harvested shellfish from Central Coast counties

MONTEREY BAY, Calif. (KION) The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat sport-harvested mussels, clams or whole scallops from four California Counties.

The counties include Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Mateo.

Health officials said they have found dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in mussels from the four counties that cooking does not destroy, and they said it could cause illness or death.

The CDPH said the toxins cause a tingling sensation around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes or hours after eating affected shellfish, and after that symptoms include loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing.

In severe cases, the CDPH said the toxins could lead to complete muscular paralysis and death from not being able to breath.

Commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops and oysters from approved sources are not included in the warning. Shellfish sold by state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters and dealers undergo testing to monitor for toxins often.

For more information, call the Shellfish Information Line at 800-553-4133.