In a joint statement, Health Waikato and Taranaki Health said latest test results today showed that PSP was still moving south.
MEDIA RELEASE - 19 DECEMBER 2003
PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING LIFTED FROM OHAWE BEACH IN SOUTH TARANAKI TO NORTH HEAD OF MANUKAU HARBOUR
The Health Protection Units of Taranaki, Waikato and Auckland District Health Boards today lifted a public health warning advising people not to collect or consume shellfish from Ohawe Beach in South Taranaki to North Head of Manukau Harbour, including Kawhia, Aotea and Raglan Harbours.
A public health warning is still in place not to consume tuatua and toheroa taken from the West Coast beaches between the North Head of Manukau Harbour north to Cape Reinga in Northland. These warnings have been issued due to unsafe levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxin remaining in tuatua and toheroa in these areas following a bloom of the phytoplankton species Gymnodinium catenatum some weeks ago. Other shellfish species are safe to eat because they clear the toxin more quickly from their flesh after a bloom.
Symptoms of PSP usually occur within 12 hours of consuming shellfish and include:
• numbness and tingling around the mouth, face or extremities;
• difficulties in swallowing or breathing;
• dizziness; double vision;
• and in severe cases, paralysis and respiratory failure.
If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued they should contact a doctor immediately, advise their local Health Protection Office and keep any left over shellfish.
Regular testing of shellfish will continue to ensure that any increases in toxin levels are detected promptly. Waikato DHB would like to thank the public for their co-operation during the event.
For more information about the safety of the shellfish, people can contact a Health Protection Officer toll free on 0800 800 977, from 8:00am - 5:00pm, or after hours, the on-call Health Protection Officer on mobile 021 999 521.
Further information is also available on the following web site : www.nzfsa.govt.nz.
For further information contact:
David Cumming
Health Protection Officer
Waikato District Health Board
Public Health Unit
MEDIA RELEASE - 29 SEPTEMBER 2003
The Public Health Unit of Waikato District Health Board today issued a public health warning advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish harvested from Ohawe in South Taranaki north to Kaipara Harbour entrance but excluding Kawhia and Maukau Harbours.
Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from Raglan have shown levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) at 101 micrograms of toxin per 100 grams of flesh. This is above the Ministry of Health's safe limit of 80 micrograms per 100 grams of flesh. Anyone eating these toxic shellfish is potentially at risk of illness.
Kina, mussels, toheroa, pipis, tuatua, oysters and cockles in the affected area should not be eaten.
Cooking shellfish does not remove the toxin.
Paua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.
Symptoms of PSP usually occur within 12 hours of consuming shellfish and include:
• Numbness and tingling around the mouth, face or extremities.
• Difficulties in swallowing or breathing.
• Dizziness; double vision.
• In severe case, paralysis and respiratory failure.
If anyone becomes ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued they should contact a doctor immediately, advise their local Public Health Unit and keep any left over shellfish.
Warning signs in the closure areas are presently being erected and stakeholders have been advised by letter.
The Public Health Units of Auckland District Health Board, Waikato District Health Board and Taranaki District Health Board are continuing to monitor the situation.
For more information about the safety of the shellfish, people can contact a Health Protection Officer toll free on 0800 800 977, from 8:00am - 5:00pm, or after hours, the on-call Health Protection Officer on mobile 021 999 521.
David Cumming
Health Protection Officer
Waikato District Health Board
Public Health Unit
Waikato District Health Board, Public Health Unit has now lifted the public health warning, put in place last year, for all shellfish species INCLUDING tuatua and toheroa. Levels of the Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) toxin, caused by the toxic algae Gymnodinium catenatum, were found to be particularly high in tuatua and toheroa from the West Coast when the closure was in place last year. However, these levels are now within safe limits.
David Cumming, Health Protection Officer of Waikato District Health Board, says the entire Waikato region is now open for collecting of all shellfish. The open area is from the Waikato River mouth south to Mohakatino (near Mokau) and includes Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia Harbours.
Regular testing of shellfish will continue as part of the ongoing biotoxin monitoring programme. This is to ensure that all species of shellfish are safe to eat and that any increases in toxin levels are detected promptly.
As toxin levels can increase quickly in shellfish, people should continue to exercise caution before collecting shellfish over the summer holiday period by listening to media reports, inquiring locally and by looking for warning signs at beach access points.
For more information please contact:
David Cumming
Health Protection Officer
Waikato District Health Board
Public Health Unit
Telephone: 07 838 2569, ext 4877
Karen Bennett
Communications Manager
Waikato District Health Board
Telephone: 07 838 3565, ext 7684
The Ministry of Health also publish up-to-date information on their website www.moh.govt.nz
A coastal area on the western side of the North Island has been reopened for the collecting and eating of all shellfish species EXCEPT tuatua and toheroa.
David Cumming, Health Protection Officer of Health Waikato, says the reopened area is from the Waikato River mouth south to Mohakatino (near Mokau). The reopened area includes Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia Harbours.
Final clearance testing for all toxins, including the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxin caused by the toxic algae Gymnodiunium catenatum, has been carried out. This shows all shellfish species to be below the health safety limit except for toheroa and tuatua. PSP toxin results show that all parts of kina and paua are safe to eat.
Tuatua and toheroa have shown that they hold onto PSP longer than other shellfish species. For this reason the gut of crabs and crayfish from the west coast should not be eaten, as tuatua is a common food source for both these species. Further sampling will be carried out to determine when these species are safe to consume. The public will be notified when levels are within the acceptable limit.
Regular testing of shellfish will continue to ensure that any increases in toxin levels are detected promptly.
Health Waikato would like to thank the public for their co-operation during the event.
For more information about the safety of the shellfish, people can contact a Health Protection Officer toll free on 0800 800 977, from 8.00am - 5.00pm, or after hours, the on-call Health Protection Officer on mobile 025 999 511.
For more information please contact:
David Cumming
Health Protection Officer
Community Health
Health Waikato
Tel: 07 838 259 ext 7958
The Ministry of Health also publish up-to-date information on their website www.moh.govt.nz
Community Health
Date: 27 November 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 472 ug/100g
Date: 5 December 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 411 ug/100g
Date: 11 December 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 159 ug/100g
Date: 17 December 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 87 ug/100g
The level at which areas of coastline are closed for the collecting and eating of shellfish is 80 ug/100g.
The following are the results of testing for marine biotoxins for the samples taken from Aotea Harbour.
Date: 5 November 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 117 ug/100g
Date: 12 November 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 262 ug/100g
Date: 19 November 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 409 ug/100g
Date: 27 November 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 472 ug/100g
The level at which areas of coastline are closed for the collecting and eating of shellfish is 80 ug/100g.
David Cumming
HEALTH PROTECTION OFFICER
Health Waikato
Community Health
3 NOVEMBER 2000
The following are the results of testing for marine biotoxins for the samples taken from Aotea Harbour.
Date: 6 October 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 174 ug/100g
Date: 8 October 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 121 ug/100g
Date: 15 October 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 570 ug/100g
Date: 23 October 2000
Species: Greenshell Mussel
Toxin: PSP
Level: 260 ug/100g
The level at which areas of coastline are closed for the collecting and eating of shellfish is 80 ug/100g.
David Cumming
HEALTH PROTECTION OFFICER
Health Waikato
The coastal area on the western side of the North Island is still closed for the collecting and eating of shellfish. David Cumming, Health Protection Officer for Health Waikato, said some people may not realise that the danger of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) still continues.
The closed area extends from Baring Head near Wellington to Cape Reinga (Northland) and includes Kawhia, Aotea and Raglan Harbours.
Sampling indicates that the toxins in the affected shellfish are still at higher than acceptable levels. The PSP causative algae Gymnodinium catenatum continues to be found in water samples taken from this area of coastline.
Symptoms of PSP occur within hours of consuming shellfish, and include numbness and tingling around the mouth, face or extremities; difficulty swallowing or breathing; dizziness; double vision and/or paralysis. People who become ill after consuming shellfish should contact a Public Health Unit Health Protection Officer or their general practitioner.
Where the areas are closed for the collection and eating of all shellfish, this includes scallops, tuatua, cockles, oysters, mussels, pipi, catseye (pupu), and kina (sea urchin). People are advised not to eat the gut of paua, rock lobster or crabs which have been taken from closed areas.
The public are reminded that the gut and skirt of scallops should never be consumed even when taken from areas that are not subject to warnings about biotoxins.
For more information about the safety of the shellfish, people can contact a Health Protection Officer toll free on 0800 800 977, from 8.00am - 5.00pm, or after hours, the on-call Health Protection Officer on mobile 025 999 511.
For more information please contact:
David Cumming
Health Protection Officer
Community Health
Health Waikato
Tel: 07 838 259 ext 7958
Health Authorities are concerned about the high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) on the West Coast of the North Island and fear the toxin could cause serious illness or death.
The toxic algal bloom was first discovered in Manukau Harbour in June and had resulted in health authorities banning the taking of shellfish from Northland, Waikato and Taranaki's West Coast.
In a joint statement, Health Waikato and Taranaki Health said latest test results today showed that PSP was still moving south.
In a respond to these latest results, the ban was today extended south to Himatangi Beach, and a Health Protection Officer for Taranaki Health, Maree Rohleder, said the latest test results show very high levels of PSP.
"We had heard of people ignoring the ban and continuing to harvest shellfish and that's of major concern because the levelsare so high that people could becomne seriously ill or die as a result of this toxin."
"There are warning signs along the coastline affected by PSP, but it seems people are ignoring advice not to harvest shellfish," said Maree Rohleder.
The organism causing the problem is Gymnodium catenatum and is usually found in the North Pacific, particularly Japan and Tasmania.
"Symptoms are PSP may appear within 12 hours of eating shellfish and may include numbness or tingling around the mouth, face or extremities, difficulty swallowing and breathing, dizziness, double vision or paralysis.
"Depending on the age and physical condition of the person, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning could prove to be fatal.
"Anyone who becomes ill after eating shellfish should see their doctor and keep any remianing shellfish in the refrigerator in case they are needed for testing.
"During the closure people are advised not to collect or eat all shellfish, including mussels, kind, pipi, catseyes or pupu, cockles, tuatua, oysters and scallops.
"The gut of paua, crayfish and crabs should not be eaten if taken from the closed area," said Maree Rohleder.
A coastal area on the western side of the North Island has been closed for the collecting and eating of shellfish.
David Cumming, Health Protection Officer of Health Waikato, says the closed area is from the entrance to, and including, the Kaipara Harbour to the mouth of the Mokau River, including Manukau, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia Harbours.
The area has been closed due to the presence of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Routine sampling has indicated that the toxins in the affected shellfish are at higher than acceptable levels.
Symptoms of PSP occur within hours of consuming shellfish, and include numbness and tingling around the mouth, face or extremities; difficulty swallowing or breathing; dizziness; double vision and/or paralysis. People who become ill after consuming shellfish should contact a Public Health Unit Health Protection Officer or their general practitioner.
Where the areas are closed for the collection and eating of all shellfish, this includes scallops, tuatua, cockles, oysters, mussels, pipi, catseye (pupu), and kina (sea urchin). People are advised not to eat the gut of paua, rock lobster or crabs which have been taken from closed areas.
The public are reminded that the gut and skirt of scallops should never be consumed even when taken from areas that are not subject to warnings about biotoxins.
For more information about the safety of the shellfish, people can contact a Health Protection Officer toll free on 0800 800 977, from 8.00am-5.00pm, or after hours, the on-call Health Protection Officer on mobile 025 999 511.
For more information about Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) click here
For First Aid treatment of victims with PSP, including CPR, click here
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