San Diego, California – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued a strong advisory against consuming sport-harvested bivalve shellfish —including mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters—gathered from San Diego County. The warning comes after testing detected dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause severe illness or even death in humans.
Domoic acid, also known as amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), is a potent neurotoxin produced by certain species of marine algae. The toxin accumulates in shellfish and, when consumed, can lead to a range of symptoms, from mild gastrointestinal distress to life-threatening neurological complications. Importantly, cooking or other food preparation methods do not destroy domoic acid, making it a persistent risk to public health.
According to CDPH, symptoms of ASP can manifest within 30 minutes to 24 hours after ingestion. Mild cases typically involve nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, and dizziness, which may subside within a few days. However, more severe cases can lead to difficulty breathing, disorientation, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, cardiovascular instability, and even permanent short-term memory loss or coma. In extreme cases, ASP can be fatal…