UNDIAGNOSED BIOTOXIN - USA: (WASHINGTON), SHELLFISH HARVESTING SUSPENDED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Wed 9 May 2012
Source: The Northern Light [edited]
<http://www.thenorthernlight.com/the-lighthouse-blog/article.exm/2012-05-09_birch_bay_beaches_closed_to_all_recreational_shellfish_harvesting>
Birch Bay beaches closed to all recreational shellfish harvesting
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The Washington State Department of Health has announced all beaches north of Sandy Point, including Birch Bay, are closed to recreational shellfish harvesting.
The closures come after elevated levels of marine biotoxin were found in recent samples. The closure includes all species of shellfish that are otherwise harvestable, including all species of clams, mussels, and other invertebrates, such as the moon snail.
Eating shellfish contaminated with marine biotoxin can be deadly.
Biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking of freezing.
For more information about the health department's shellfish harvesting closures, go to <http://www4.doh.wa.gov/gis/mogifs/biotoxin.htm>.
[Byline: Jeremy Schwartz]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
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[Sadly this article does not identify the biotoxin. One might suspect paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). It seems by looking at the Department of Health website at <http://www4.doh.wa.gov/gis/mogifs/biotoxin.htm>, that many of these beach areas are closed, but ocean beaches are closed for mollusk harvest from April through October for biotoxins.
I wonder if this is a general closure and no biotoxin is specified so that the update to the page requires minimal attention, or if the DOH has not determined the type of biotoxin.
The page does not mention PSP or any type of red tide. Perhaps someone in the DOH might update us with more specifics.
The state of Washington can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at <http://healthmap.org/r/2lD6>. - Mod.TG]
[see also:
2011
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Red tide, shellfish - USA (02): (TX) oyster 20111216.3608 Paralytic shellfish poisoning - Philippines: (BA) 20111124.3436 Diarrheal shellfish poisoning - France: 2009, mussels 20111119.3410 Paralytic shellfish poisoning - USA: (AK) 20111118.3395 Diarrheal shellfish poisoning - Canada (02): mussels 20110829.2648 Diarrheal shellfish poisoning - Canada: alert, recall 20110807.2393] .................................................sb/tg/mj/mpp/ll
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