Red Tide Cause of Local Ban on Sea Food
(Article appearing in La Voz...)
There is a red tide alert for the upper Sea of Cortez, specifically off the port of San Felipe. Federal and state health authorities have decided to implement ban on the consumption of fishery products extracted in the Upper Gulf of California, seeking to prevent an outbreak of poisoning.
This as a preventive measure to avoid risks to the health of the population. As of January 13, the ban was implemented, warning people about the danger of consuming seafood, especially bivalves and sardines extracted near the port of San Felipe.
The health ban includes a prohibition on the extraction, sale and/or consumption of sea harvests until further notice.
The official announcement was released by the Institute for Public Services of Baja California Health through the Directorate for Protection against Health Risks, in coordination with the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS).
The decision was due to results of sampling sea products (clams) and the stomach contents of birds where the results showed high levels of saxitoxin, caused by the presence of red tide in the area. Establishments that sell seafood have been given an immediate suspension on the sale of bivalves, mollusks and sardines that were extracted at the port of San Felipe and Upper Gulf of California, with the production date on January 13 requested, in order to prevent an outbreak of poisoning.
The red tide algae produce toxins that can cause various levels of poisoning. It is important to note that through the food chain other organisms such as birds can also be affected, which explains the recent death of birds recorded in this area.
Saxitoxin, also known paralytic shellfish toxin, is a neurotoxin produced by several species of dynoflagellates, unicellular organisms often labeled as plankton which, under favorable conditions, are able to multiply rapidly, reaching concentrations of millions per liter of water. In these circumstances, saxitoxin-producing plankton accumulate in other marine organisms, mainly bivalves, but also crabs and even gastropods and plankton-eating fish.
Mollusks are not affected by the saxotoxina, but if a human consumes suffers a paralyzing poison poisoning called syndrome consumption of seafood that can be very serious because saxitoxin blocks sodium channels in cells, causing paralysis if it affects the respiratory muscles become mortal.
The call is extended to the general public not to consume fishery products coming from this area due to the risk of poisoning.
What to do if you ingest an infected product:
In the case of poisoning, the main symptoms occur 5-30 minutes after ingestion and manifestations range from muscle weakness, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, numbness of lips, and tingling in the hands. Severe symptoms can occur, depending on the degree of poisoning, such as respiratory depression, intercostal muscle paralysis, respiratory failure and cardiac arrest, seizures, abnormal blood pressure and myocardial infarction.
If you have a history of consuming these products and exhibit any of the symptoms, you should immediately go to the nearest health unit and give this information to the doctor.
The health authorities appeal to everyone to be attentive to the communications issued regarding this emergency.
For questions or complaints, phone 686 557-0048.
Here is the original State authorities alert.