CDPH Lifts Warning about Mussels from Sonoma County

January 26, 2018

On January 19, 2018, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced it is lifting the health advisory related to sport-harvested mussels in Sonoma County. The advisory had been issued due to dangerous levels of a naturally occurring toxin that can cause illness or death. Recent testing shows concentrations of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins have declined to safe or undetectable levels. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event.

The CDPH warning against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Del Norte and Humboldt counties remains in effect.

PSP toxins affect the central nervous system, producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish. These symptoms are typically followed by loss of balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur.

You can get the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH's toll-free "Shellfish Information Line" at (800) 553-4133. For additional information, please visit CDPH's Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page or CDPH's Annual Mussel Quarantine - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page.