Contact: Elizabeth Miller, (805)654-2477, County of Ventura Resource Management Agency – Environmental Health
PDF Versions: English Press Release, Spanish Press Release
VENTURA — The Ventura County Environmental Health Division, in partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), is advising the public not to eat sport-harvested bivalve shellfish — including mussels, clams, oysters, and scallops — from Ventura County. This advisory also applies to Orange and San Diego counties.
Recent testing has detected dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins and domoic acid in shellfish collected from areas in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. These findings indicate a regional biotoxin event affecting the Southern California coastline.
Domoic acid, a naturally occurring marine toxin, can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Symptoms of ASP may appear 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.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins affect the 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.
This warning does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, 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.
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 or viewing the recreational bivalve shellfish advisory interactive map. For additional information, please visit the CDPH Marine Biotoxin Monitoring web page.
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