The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) advises you to throw out any mussels recreationally harvested since Saturday May 25 from the Washington border to Seal Rock State Park (the current mussel harvesting closure area) and do not feed them to pets. Freezing or cooking them does not destroy paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
At least 21 people have confirmed PSP from eating mussels harvested in Clatsop and Tillamook counties according to the OHA today.
OHA says if you have eaten any of these mussels and feel ill, see a doctor right away. The Oregon Poison Control Center can give advice at 1-800-222-1222.
On May 23, ODFW and ODA closed mussel harvesting from Seal Rock State Park to Cape Lookout due to high levels of PSP. The closure was extended to the WA border after notification from OHA of several cases of poisoning from mussels harvested north of Cape Lookout.
Other shellfish harvested within the current mussel harvest closure area remain safe to eat according to the most recent ODA testing results. ODA regularly tests shellfish for PSP and other toxins. The agency is testing this week and expects results by Friday, May 31.
For the latest updates on shellfish biotoxin closures, visit the ODA’s Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures web page or call the hotline at 1-800-448-2474. For current mussel and clam biotoxin test results, visit this ODA web page. Current shellfish closure information is also on ODFW’s Recreation Report.
PSP is a natural marine biotoxin produced by some species of microscopic algae. Mussels quickly accumulate and quickly release biotoxins. Razor clams are slower to accumulate and release toxins.
Read the May 27 OHA news release here.
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