State Issues Warning on Coastal Seafood

State health officials Friday warned people not to eat crabs, sardines, anchovies and bivalves such as clams and oysters caught for sport along the coastline of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Testing has revealed elevated levels in those species of a toxin called domoic acid, said Lea Brooks, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Health Services.

While no one in California has been confirmed as becoming ill from the poison, the symptoms of a mild case mimic those of the flu.

In severe cases, people may become disoriented, experience seizures and even die.

Domoic acid is produced by sea algae, but scientists do not know why production increases from time to time.

It has been implicated in the deaths of pelicans and seabirds, as well as dolphins and sea lions that have washed up on Southern California beaches over the last two months.

Domoic acid taints internal organs but not the flesh, said Mike Hernandez, chief of the health department’s seafood safety unit.

Crab legs, for instance, would be safe to eat, he said, even if the crab’s organs are not.

“The vast majority of seafood isn’t affected,” Hernandez said.

Commercial dealers have been advised to sell local anchovies and sardines only for bait, he added.

In addition to imposing its annual mussel quarantine, the state issued a domoic acid warning for Morro Bay last month.

How long the warnings will be in effect is unknown.