FDA Issues Warning for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning After People Fall Ill

Getting oysters may be a bit harder this summer. The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell (and to dispose of) certain oysters from Dailyfresh Shellfish Inc. The oysters may be contaminated with the toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

These toxins cannot be removed by cooking or freezing, so people should not eat the oysters.

What We Know

The implicated oysters are from lot number 240531JM and were harvested from Subarea 23-10 in British Columbia, Canada, on May 30, according to a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted on June 12.

Related: FDA Warns of More Recalled Foods Containing Allergens

On June 10 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency advised the FDA that recent monitoring detected elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins in shellfish harvested from Subarea 23-10 in British Columbia, Canada.

The Canadian Agency advised the FDA that live oysters from Dailyfresh Shellfish, Inc., had been shipped to distributors in California. The product may have been distributed to other states as well.

Molluscan shellfish contaminated with natural toxins from the water can cause illness. Typically, contamination occurs following blooms of the toxic algal species; however, toxin contamination is possible even when algal concentrations are low. One of the recognized poisoning syndromes that can occur from consuming contaminated shellfish is paralytic shellfish poisoning.

PSP is caused by neurotoxins. Shellfish can retain the toxin for different lengths of time, and some rid of the toxins rapidly, but others are much slower to remove them.

Other Outbreaks

The FDA also issued an advisory last week, warning restaurants and consumers about elevated levels of biotoxins that have impacted shellfish along the shorelines of Oregon and Washington. These were wild shellfish and not part of a farming operation.

Oregon officials have issued beach closures to protect the public and said late last month that at least 21 people have been sickened with the toxins.

Some news outlets are reporting that 31 have become ill, citing the Oregon Health Authority.

What To Do

Food containing these toxins may look, smell, and taste normal.

People infected with PSP begin to develop symptoms within 30 minutes of consuming contaminated seafood. Effects can range from tingling of the lips, mouth, and tongue to respiratory paralysis, and may even include numbness of arms and legs, “pins and needles” sensation, weakness, loss of muscle coordination, floating feeling, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, and headache.

In fatal cases, death is typically due to asphyxiation.

The FDA is awaiting further information on the distribution of the shellfish harvested and will continue to monitor the investigation and provide assistance to state authorities as needed. As new information becomes available, the FDA will update the safety alert.

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