Red tide warning up; shellfish from 5 areas not fit to eat

The Department of Health (DoH) on Friday warned the public against eating shellfish collected in the coastal areas of Honda Bay in Palawan, Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental, and Sorsogon Bay in Sorsogon due to the presence of toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning or "red tide".

The DoH based its warning on the laboratory report of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that confirmed the presence of toxins that could lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Aside from the abovementioned areas, the presence of red tide toxins was also reported to have been seen in Carigara Bay in Leyte.

The DoH said a person who has consumed shellfish with the red tide toxin may experience any or a combination of the following symptoms: facial numbness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulty, abdominal cramps, and weakness or paralysis of one or more extremities.

“Within 30 minutes of ingesting contaminated shellfish, there is vomiting and abdominal pain, sometimes with loose bowel movement. This should be accompanied by two sensory and motor abnormalities,” Dr. Enrique Tayag, National Epidemiology Center (NEC) Director of the DoH said.

There is no known antidote for the illness, Tayag said and advised the public to immediately consult a doctor if they suspect paralytic shellfish poisoning.

The BFAR report said all types of shellfish, including “alamang” gathered from the said areas are unfit for consumption. However, fish, shrimps, squids, and crabs are said to be safe to eat as long as fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking

source:mb