CDPH Lifts Warnings about Shellfish from Mendocino County

December 20, 2019

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notification today related to sport-harvested mussels, whole scallops, and clams in Mendocino County. The safety notification was issued due to dangerous levels of naturally occurring domoic acid, which can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) and result in illness or death in humans. Recent testing shows concentrations of domoic acid are now at safe or undetectable levels for bivalve shellfish other than razor clams.
 
The warnings against eating sport-harvested razor clams in Del Norte and Humboldt counties remain in effect, due to continued elevated levels of domoic acid.
 
These warnings do not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins.
 
Symptoms of ASP can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. No cases of human ASP from domoic acid are known to have occurred in California.
 
You can get the most current information on shellfish advisories and quarantines by calling CDPH's toll-free Biotoxin Information Line at (800) 553-4133. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page.