Health department lifts Santa Cruz County shellfish warning

UPDATE: 6/26/2018 1:20 p.m. The California Department of Public Health lifted health advisories Tuesday related to sport-harvested shellfish in Santa Cruz County.

The advisories are being lifted for whole scallops and all clams. They were issued due to dangerous levels of toxins that can cause illness or death. Recent testing showed those toxins have decreased to safe or undetectable levels. These warnings do not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters from approved sources.

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The California Department of Public Health is warning folks not to eat recreationally harvested mussels, clams or whole scallops from Ventura County.

According to the CDPH, dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins have been detected in mussels from the area.

“The naturally occurring PSP toxins can cause illness or death in humans. Cooking does not destroy the toxin,” said health officials.

Health advisories are in place in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties.

Early symptoms of PSP include tingling of of the lips and tongue, which could begin within minutes after eating toxic shellfish. These symptoms are typically followed by loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur.

For more information on shellfish advisories visit CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Web page.