The Seattle and King County Health Department is warning consumers of the dangers of eating raw or undercooked shellfish. The cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections in that area have doubled from the yearly average of 4 to 8, just in the month of August. There have been 13 confirmed or probably cases since July 1, 2013. Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Communicable Disease for Public Health said in a statement, "this is probably the tip of the iceberg. For every case that is reported, an estimated 142 additional cases go unreported." The bacteria occur naturally in ocean waters and grow more rapidly during the summer months. People with pre-existing medical conditions and those who take antacids regularly are at higher risk for illness. The symptoms of a Vibrio infection include … [Read more...]
Washington Closes Shellfish Harvesting Areas
Shellfish harvesting areas near public beaches in Washington state have been closed to recreational and sport harvest due to the dangers of fecal contamination and marine biotoxins. Commercial harvesting may also be restricted based on selective testing, according to state health authorities. In addition, some areas have been listed as “threatened” meaning they are reaching the cut-off limit of what is acceptable in terms of water pollution. “If water quality in the threatened shellfish areas gets worse we’ll have to restrict or close harvesting there,” Bob Woolrich, Growing Area Section Manager said in a statement. “Having an area listed as ‘threatened’ is a signal to communities to identify and correct pollution problems.” In some areas, pollution-mitigation efforts are underway. … [Read more...]
Warning: California Department of Health Says Not to Eat Shellfish from Del Norte County California
The California Department of Health is telling consumers not to eat shellfish that are recreationally harvested from Del Norte County in California. The warning does not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops, or oysters from approved sources. These commercially harvested shellfish are subject to frequent mandatory testing by the state government. PSP toxins affect the central nervous system, producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips. Then, symptoms include a loss of balance, loss of muscular coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms can appear within a few minutes to a few hours after eating the toxic shellfish. In some cases, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur. Cooking does not destroy the toxin. … [Read more...]
California Warns Consumers to Avoid Seafood Harvested in Northern Channel Islands
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers to not eat recreationally harvested mussels and clams, commercially or recreationally caught anchovy and sardines, or internal organs of commercially or recreationally caught crab and lobster from the northern Channel Islands. The Islands are offshore of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Dangerous levels of the nerve toxin domoic acid have been detected in some of those species. The toxin may also be present in other species of shellfish, crustaceans, and fish in that area. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin that can cause illness or death in human beings. Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning usually occur with 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating contaminated seafood. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, … [Read more...]
Vibrio in Shellfish Sicken 30 in Washington State
According to the Washington State Department of Health, Vibrio in shellfish have caused 30 confirmed illnesses in Washington this summer. The presence of the bacteria has closed three commercial growing areas, including Totten Inlet near Olympic, North Bay, and Dabob Bay in north Hood Canal for the rest of the summer. Vibriosis, the illness caused by the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus, is caused by eating raw or undercooked oysters. Despite the typical recommendation of cooking shellfish until they open, that is not enough to destroy Vibrio. To be safe, shellfish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for 15 seconds. In addition, rinsing cooked oysters in seawater can re-contaminate them. And, some pathogens can't be "cooked out" of shellfish. Some biotoxins can … [Read more...]
Paralytic Shellfish Poison Closes Recreational Harvest In Puget Sound
The Washington State Department of Health (WDH) has closed recreational shellfish harvesting in six counties near Puget Sound after dangerous levels of the biotoxin Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) were discovered. Commercially harvested shellfish are not included in the closure and should be safe to eat, according to public health authorities. The six counties affected by the recreational shellfish harvest closure are in the central and southern areas of the sound. They are: Jefferson, Island, Snohomish, Kitsap, King and Pierce counties. Warning signs have been posted at beaches in these areas. Shellfish included in the closure are: clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, geoduck, and other mollusks. Crab is not included in the closure, but “crab butter,” the yellow goo that clings to … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Consumers Against Eating Shellfish from Oyster Bay Harbor
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to not eat raw or partially cooked oysters and clams with tags listing Oyster Bay Harbor in Nassau County, New York as the harvest area. Eight people in several states have been sickened with Vibrio parahaemolyticus food poisoning after consuming those foods. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) closed Oyster Bay Harbor to shellfish harvesting on July 13, 2012. The FDA told shellfish harvesters, shippers, re-shippers, processors, restaurants, and retail food establishments to dispose of any shellfish that have identity tags showing Oyster Bay Harbor was the harvest area and harvest date on or after June 1, 2012. The area will remain closed until samples taken by the DEC indicate that shellfish are no … [Read more...]
Shellfish from Oyster Bay in Nassau County NY Linked to Vibrio Outbreak
The New York Department of Environmental conservation is advising food establishments to avoid using or selling shellfish harvested from areas in the town of Oyster Bay, N.Y. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, harvesting is no longer allowed in that area because of an illness outbreak caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring marine bacteria. All of the underwater land in Oyster Bay Harbor in an area from the stone house on Plum Point to the northwestern point of Cover Point on Cove Neck are closed for harvest. This include about 1,980 acres on the north shore of Oyster Bay. Three people who ate raw or undercooked shellfish in Nassau County have become ill. And five more people in other states are sick after eating shellfish harvested in Oyster Bay. … [Read more...]
US Bans Korean Shellfish After FDA Finds Fecal Matter, Norovirus In Growing Areas
Korean shellfish is not safe to eat and Korea has been removed from the U.S. list of approved shellfish shippers after officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered unsanitary conditions that exposed molluscan growing areas to human fecal matter, norovirus and pollution, the agency announced yesterday. Previously, the FDA had issued a recall of Korean shellfish imported to the U.S. after May 1, 2012. But now the FDA says no shellfish from Korea is safe to eat. Whether they are fresh, frozen or canned; mussels, scallops and oysters from Korea may have been exposed to human fecal matter, may also be contaminated with norovirus and are not safe to eat at this time, according to the advisory. Currently, the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program (KSSP) does not … [Read more...]
