July 17, 2002
Wednesday - 12:20 am

Anchorage - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued a warning on Tuesday to crab lovers of the danger of contracting paralytic shell fish poisoning from eating the viscera of crab harvested in certain areas of the state.

Consumers of crab harvested around Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula south of Cape Kumlik, and Bairdi Tanner crab from the Bering Sea should make sure the guts are removed before the crab is eaten due to the presence of PSP in those locations. "If you buy live crab or catch it yourself from these areas, you can prevent a potentially life-threatening disease by removing the guts before you cook and eat it," said Kristin Ryan, Outreach Coordinator of the Division of Environmental Health.

DEC recently informed commercial crabbers that it has relaxed requirements for PSP testing of crab harvested in Alaska for commercial sale, but with the caveat that crab from those locales which continue to have a high level of toxins must have the guts removed before sale. "We want to be safe and prevent anyone from getting sick, while at the same time recognizing that we do not need to continue the rigorous sampling, as levels of toxin have remained consistent over a number of years. We concluded that testing is no longer necessary for crab harvested in Alaska," said Ryan. "We'll still, however, take samples periodically to determine if PSP levels are changing."

DEC continues to warn seafood lovers that clams and mussels from untested
beaches can be dangerous any time of the year, and clams and mussels should not be eaten except those harvested from tested beaches. This does not apply to commercially grown and harvested clams, mussels, other shellfish, crab, or shrimp available in grocery stores and restaurants. These shellfish are tested regularly before marketing. "The safest thing is to buy your shellfish from retail outlets, because their supplies must come from tested beaches and are also randomly sampled for PSP at our Seafood and Food Safety Laboratory," Ryan said.

PSP strikes a few people in Alaska nearly every year after collecting and
eating shellfish from beaches in different parts of the state. PSP occurs widely in Alaska, and is a potentially lethal toxin which can lead to fatal respiratory paralysis. The toxin comes from algae, a food source for shellfish like clams, mussels and crabs. Symptoms of PSP may appear soon after ingestion, perhaps in less than an hour. Initial symptoms commonly are tingling or numbness in the lips and tongue, often followed by tingling and numbness in the fingertips and toes. These symptoms may lead to a loss of muscle coordination.

For more information, contact Mike Ostasz, Division of Environmental Health, Anchorage, (907) 269-7638, or visit the division's web pages on PSP.

Source of News Release:

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Web Site

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