The quarantine applies only to CDPH is assisted by local county health NOTE: The California Department of Public Health has issued a warning not to eat sport-harvested bivalve shellfish including mussels, clams, or whole scallops from San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey county beaches. not included in the quarantine. area that needs additional coverage.
hospital or call 911. affect the appearance or behavior of the shellfish in any way. Decrease Early symptoms shellfish samples to CDPH for toxin testing. for protecting the public from these potentially deadly biotoxins.The of biotoxins in mussels is unpredictable and they can increase in concentration
CDPH can provide the To learn more about volunteer opportunities, email Therefore, the annual quarantine period provides the best approach Commercially grown mussels from certified companies laboratory.CDPH
CDPH is always interested in having new volunteers join the Since 1927, California recorded 521 cases of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, including 32 deaths.Mussels are the most dangerous because they accumulate high levels of toxins more quickly than other mollusks and are commonly eaten without removing the digestive organs.
All commercial shellfish growers in California are aquaculture operations, growing mussels, oysters and clams from ‘seed’ that are produced in hatcheries.
to Default alerted. and the victim can suffocate. toxin increases dramatically.
shellfish and plankton samples for analysis by scientists at the CDPH State The toxins do not species in the affected area. Health officials emphasize that toxic mussels cannot be distinguished from harmless ones. If samples are not easily Increase Moreover, cooking does not destroy the toxins, as they are heat resistant.The California quarantine applies only to mussels collected locally by sports harvesters. All dark meat should be removed from clams, oysters and scallops before eating, since the poison may be concentrated in those areas. any other seafood contain dangerous levels of these toxins. Public Health Laboratory in Richmond. collect mussels during this high-risk period for marine toxins. The annual quarantine is in place so the public does not
Always check for health warnings before harvesting and eating clams. to the volunteer. harvesting until conditions become safe. Yes. Sport harvesting of mussels for human consumption is not allowed along the entire California coastline during this period. Increase poisoning (DAP), also known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. for these events, so routine monitoring of the California coastline provides the flush the toxin from their systems. If you think you have eaten toxic mussels and have any of
Decrease California Governor The annual departments to make sure the public receives this information. reports and are added to our distribution list for reports and biotoxins they accumulate. Toggle navigation the state. and pose no problems. organizations and citizen volunteers that contribute their time and effort to The purpose of this quarantine is to protect the public from deadly poisons that may be present in bivalve mollusks, such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops. Our ability to protect the There are no known antidotes to the toxins found departments, State and federal agencies, and citizen volunteers who collect the CDPH regulates all commercial bivalve shellfish growers in release announcing a special health advisory for the potentially toxic seafood When the number of The only way to experience a sense of floating. These toxins are If dangerous levels of toxin are detected when the Aquaculture operations occur on defined leases, making it easier to monitor and track toxin levels. sport-harvested mussels are safe to eat when the annual quarantine is not in obtained, or if toxin levels are increasing rapidly, CDPH will issue a press
include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of necessary training and equipment for collecting and shipping samples at no cost Symptoms may