County Issues Shellfish Warning
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Mussels, clams and rock scallops gathered off the California coast should not be eaten over the summer because they may host a bacteria that can cause paralysis, and even death, the San Diego County Department of Health Services announced Wednesday.
The bacteria, Alexandrium catanella, multiplies rapidly during summer months and becomes a main source of food for the shellfish.
The bacteria produces a toxin within the shellfish that “can affect the nervous system within a few minutes to a few hours,” county health officer Donald G. Ramras said in a statement. “In cases of severe poisoning, complete muscular paralysis occurs and the victim dies. There is no known antidote.”
The quarantine is in effect each year from May 1 to Oct. 31 along the entire California coast. Commercial shellfish sold in markets or served in restaurants should be safe due to state and federal controls, the statement said. Abalone, crab and shrimp are also safe since they do not feed on the bacteria.
In 1980, 98 cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning were reported in Marin and Sonoma counties. Two people died.
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