The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat rock crabs caught in Half Moon Bay and bivalve shellfish or rock crabs caught in Monterey Bay, due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin.
The warning is effective for crabs and bivalve shellfish caught in state waters south of Latitude 37° 11′ N. (near Pigeon Point) and north of Latitude 36° 35′ N (near Cypress Point in Monterey County).
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning 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 (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event.
