Los Angeles

Mussel Ban Issued Earlier Than Usual Due To Toxin Find

A Warning For Mussel Lovers
Ventura County Star
|
Open Image Modal
mussels with lemon

Contributed photo/Ventura County Environmental Health Division

A ban on consumption of recreationally harvested mussels has been in place since Monday and will extend until at least Oct. 31, officials said.

Contributed photo/Ventura County Environmental Health Division A ban on consumption of recreationally harvested mussels has been in place since Monday and will extend until at least Oct. 31, officials said.

Contributed photo/Ventura County Environmental Health Division

Officials have posted signs warning beach visitors of the ban.

Contributed photo/Ventura County Environmental Health Division Officials have posted signs warning beach visitors of the ban.

Photo with no caption

Photo by Anthony Plascencia, Ventura County Star

The annual ban on consuming recreationally harvested mussels from the California coast has been imposed early this year after testing revealed toxins that are harmful to humans.

The Ventura County Environmental Health Division and California Department of Public Health on Monday issued the annual quarantine on mussels taken by recreational shellfish harvesters. The quarantine was issued after testing detected elevated levels of domoic acid and high levels of the algae that produce the toxin.

"The quarantine is in place every year and normally begins May 1," Huff said Thursday.

However, this year's quarantine was instituted earlier after officials detected elevated levels of the toxin in mussels, said Elizabeth Huff, a manager with the Ventura County Environmental Health Division.

The quarantine will continue through Oct. 31. Huff added that the quarantine is instituted every year no matter what the tests show.

The quarantine applies to all species of mussels taken by the public anywhere on the California coast, including all bays, harbors, and estuaries. Commercially harvested shellfish are not included. Consumers of sport-harvested clams or scallops are advised to eat only the white meat, removing and discarding the dark-colored organs or viscera before cooking.

Officials said compliance with the quarantine can prevent paralytic shellfish poisoning and domoic acid poisoning.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning affects the central nervous system, producing tingling around the mouth and fingertips from within a few minutes to a few hours after eating shellfish that contain related toxins. These symptoms typically are followed by disturbed balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing, officials said. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur.

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms can disappear within several days. In severe cases, the patient may experience excessive bronchial secretions, difficulty breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma and death.

There is no known antidote to the toxins, and cooking cannot be relied upon to destroy them. Supportive medical care, however, has been effective in managing the symptoms. Anyone who suspects they are experiencing symptoms should immediately seek medical attention, officials said.

The annual mussel quarantine will be in effect until at least Oct. 31.

For more information about the quarantine and the related health issues, visit the mussel quarantine frequently asked questions page by visiting http://www.cdph.ca.gov.

Staff writer John Scheibe contributed to this report. ___

(c)2013 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.)

Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at www.vcstar.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Potentially Dangerous Foods
Namibian Bullfrog(01 of10)
Open Image Modal
This giant African bullfrog is considered a delicacy in Namibia, but contains a poison known as Oshiketakata, which can cause kidney failure and death. Eat this frog after "third rain," identified by excessive croaking and breeding of the frogs, or cook it in a pot lined with dry wood, which supposedly neutralizes the poison.Related: Frog's Legs Recipes
Ackee Fruit(02 of10)
Open Image Modal
If picked before its time, eating ackee can lead to Jamaican vomiting sickness. It contains hypoglycin A, which limits the body's ability to release glucose from the liver, a process essential to keeping blood and sugar levels stable between meals. The inhibition of this process can lead to hypoglycemia, causing dehydration, seizures, coma, and death. Fun, huh?Related:New York's 10 Most Dangerous Kitchens
Star Fruit(03 of10)
Open Image Modal
Just 100 ml of this fruit's juice is poisonous for people with bad kidneys -- it contains neurotoxins that affect the brain and nerves. If you have healthy kidneys, have no fear. Your body will be able to filter out the neurotoxins.Related:Tropical Chicken Salad
Pangium Edule(04 of10)
Open Image Modal
Pangium edule, the fruit from a tree native to Southeast Asia, is poisonous to humans due to the hydrogen cyanide it contains.(It's known as "the fruit that nauseates.") The seeds are eaten after either being boiled without their shells and soaked in water, or after boiling and burying them in banana leaves and ash for a month or two to release the cyanide.Related:Fruit Parfait
Casu Marzu(05 of10)
Open Image Modal
This cheese from Northern Italy has a special ingredient. No, not a special herb. It's Piophila casi, the "cheese fly," which lays thousands of eggs in this sheep's milk cheese. Casu marzu is served with the maggots alive, as once they die the cheese becomes toxic. Diners are encouraged to brush off the maggots before eating the cheese, given the larvae can survive human digestive tracts long enough to lay eggs. Hatching maggots then try to burrow through intestinal walls, causing pain, vomiting, and death. Not likely to put you in the mood for dessert.Related:How to Create Your Own Cheese Plate
Silver Stripe Blaasop(06 of10)
Open Image Modal
Although a delicacy in some ports of the Indian Ocean, the liver, skin, and reproductive organs of the Silver Stripe Blaasop supposedly contain a poisonous substance that can cause fatal muscle paralysis and breathing and circulation problems if eaten by humans. Related:5 Places to Catch Yourself a Sustainable Fish
Echizen Kurage(07 of10)
Open Image Modal
This poisonous jellyfish lives on tuna, problematic for the Japanese tuna supply. The solution? Make the jellyfish into a delicacy. The toxic parts must be removed, and the jellyfish cooked so as to be eaten without risk.Related:Jellyfish Recipes
Blowfish (Fugu)(08 of10)
Open Image Modal
The liver, muscles, ovaries, and skin of the blowfish are full of a poison called Tetrodotoxin, a poison 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. If not cooked correctly, it will kill a diner within four to six hours of consumption. Chefs must undergo three years of training before being allowed to prepare blowfish.Related:Sustainable Fish Guide: The Best and Worst Fish
Hakarl(09 of10)
Open Image Modal
Greenland shark is used to make this Icelandic delicacy, which is translated as "fermented shark." This species of shark has no urinary tract, meaning the meat is full of toxic substances like trimethylamine oxide. To remove the toxins, the sharks are buried in a sand and gravel pit to remove moisture, then fermented, and cut into strips before being hung to dry. The process takes about six months -- and the end product smells like it. If you try it, you better multitask -- fork in one hand, nose plugged with the other.Related:New York's 10 Most Dangerous Kitchens
Sannakji(10 of10)
Open Image Modal
Those tentacles are still squirming. That's right, this dish is served alive. A delicacy in Korea, Sannakji (baby octopus) is cut up and served while it's still writhing. Diners must take care to chew with vigor because the suction cups on the tentacles are still very functional. They will stick to your mouth and throat if not properly chewed, putting you at risk for a clogged airway. There are rumors of multiple deaths by choking due to Sannakji in Korea last year. Related:Sustainable Fish Guide: The Best and Worst Fish
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip