ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2012-05-11 09:32:07
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed biotoxin - USA: (WA), shellfish harvest suspended, RFI
Archive Number: 20120511.1129484

UNDIAGNOSED BIOTOXIN - USA: (WASHINGTON), SHELLFISH HARVESTING SUSPENDED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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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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[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]

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