Health officials have warned against eating shellfish caught in the Pacific Northwest over fears of contamination with a deadly poison that causes paralysis and death.
The Washington Department of Health has discovered dangerously high levels of a deadly toxin called PSP in clusters of seafood harvested along the Washington and Oregon coasts.
Twenty people have already been sickened by contaminated fish in Oregon over Memorial Day Weekend, according to an announcement from the authority.
PSP is a naturally occurring toxin carried by shellfish and cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing the catch.
Symptoms can occur within minutes of eating the food and include numbness and tickling in the hands and feet. Over time, this can lead to breathing problems, muscle paralysis and, in the worst cases, death.
Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) is a naturally occurring biotoxin carried by shellfish that eat algae
To protect area residents, beaches and commercial fishing in the Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor regions are closed.
Dani Toepelt, Shellfish Licensing and Certification Manager in Washington, said, “We are working around the clock to notify and collaborate with affected shellfish farmers in Willapa Bay.
“The industry is doing everything it can to get through this PSP event and protect shellfish consumers from illness.”
The contagion off the coast of Washington is believed to have spread from an ongoing PSP outbreak along Oregon’s Pacific coast, sickening at least 20 people for 10 days. No illnesses were reported in Washington as of June 5.
Officials in Oregon encouraged people who had recently harvested shellfish along the coast to throw away their catches.
A 2021 study The number of PSP cases is increasing in North America, probably due to warming waters.
Health experts and officials don’t know exactly how many cases of PSP have been documented in the United States, but according to a report from the State of Alaska Epidemiology, there have been more than 130 incidents of the condition between 1993 and 2021. available.
And at least five deaths were reported between 1994 and 2020.
PSP is produced by certain types of microscopic algae, which are eaten by shellfish. These fish then retain the poison and can pass it on to people who eat them.
The biotoxin affects the nervous system and can lead to muscle paralysis. High levels can lead to death.
Immediate symptoms of PSP poisoning include tingling of the lips and tongue, which manifests in the hands and feet. In severe cases, people may have difficulty breathing and the poisoning can be fatal.
Shellfish at risk of contamination include mussels, clams, oysters, scallops and moon snails. Sea cucumbers and crabs can also become poisonous.
Under typical conditions, the toxic algae are present in the water, but in such low concentrations that they pose no risk to humans.
However, when algae bloom, shellfish consume more and more, causing PSP to build up in marine life.
As the amount of algae decreases, the shellfish filter out PSP and can be safely consumed again.
It may take only a few days for PSP levels in shellfish to drop, but experts warn that levels can remain at toxic levels for more than several months — and cooking or freezing the fish does not eliminate the biotoxin.
Anyone who eats contaminated shellfish is at risk of poisoning and there is no antidote. The only treatment for severe cases is a ventilator and oxygen therapy until a person recovers on their own.
Health officials in Washington said they routinely test shellfish sold in restaurants and stores for biotoxins, including PSP.
Overall, the number of marine poisonings in the US is increasing.
Earlier this year, the CDC warned that an increasing number of Americans would become infected with a deadly flesh-eating bacteria lurking in seawater and estuaries.
Vibrio vulnificus, which multiplies in warm temperatures, is infecting twice as many East Coasters compared to 2022, new data from the CDC shows.
Scientists also blame rising water temperatures for the increase in bacteria.