An outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning that has sickened at least 20 people has prompted health officials to urge those who harvested mussels from a stretch of Oregon’s coast since Saturday to discard the mollusks. Officials at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division also recommend people who experience any symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning, such as numbness of the mouth and lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and in severe cases, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat, to immediately contact a health care provider. Advice is also available by calling the Oregon Poison Center at 800-222-1222.
All 20 people who fell ill reported recreationally harvesting mussels May 25 or 26 at Short Beach near Oceanside in Tillamook County, and Hug Point and near Seaside in Clatsop County. Some of the cases have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. On May 23, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Agriculture closed a stretch of the Oregon coast to mussel harvesting from Seal Rock State Park north to Cape Lookout because of high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning.
On Sunday, the mussel harvest closure was extended from Seal Rock State Park north to the Washington border. “We have two messages: If you have any mussels gathered since Saturday from beaches within the area of coastline that ODFW and ODA closed to harvesting — that you are preparing for a meal or keeping in the freezer for a later .
