California health officials are urging residents to avoid eating shellfish harvested recreationally from the coast due to the toxic algae bloom that is poisoning sea life.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued a quarantine for all recreationally harvested mussels for the entire coastline from May 1 through Oct. 31. A separate advisory includes clams, scallops and oysters in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
The warnings do not affect commercially sold shellfish from certified sources, which health officials said are safe.
The unprecedented scale of the algae bloom, which shows no sign of dissipating, has sickened or killed thousands of sea lions, dolphins, whales and birds in Southern California in recent months.
Experts say the algae produces domoic acid, a neurotoxin, that becomes concentrated in small fish such as anchovies and sardines, which are then consumed by marine mammals and birds.
The poison affects the heart and nervous system, causing the animals to become disoriented.
There have been no reported human cases of domoic acid poisoning in California to date, health officials said. However, they warn that consuming recreationally harvested shellfish has the potential to cause serious illness.
“Early symptoms of (shellfish poisoning) include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish,” the CDPH said in its warning. “These symptoms are typically followed by a loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing.”
Milder symptoms of shellfish poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. In severe cases, people can become paralyzed and die from asphyxiation.