Is domoic acid present in all seafood?
Unsafe levels of domoic acid have been detected in razor clams and Dungeness crab in Washington coastal waters. Domoic acid has also been found in mussels, clams, and oysters in Puget Sound areas. Razor clams accumulate domoic acid in the edible tissue (foot, siphon and mantle) and are slow to rid themselves of the toxin. In Dungeness crab, domoic acid primarily accumulates in the viscera (also known as the gut or “butter”). Does cooking the shellfish make it safe to eat? No. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing. What are the symptoms of ASP? Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion. In more severe cases, neurological symptoms develop within 48 hours and include headache, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, loss of short-term memory, motor weakness, seizures, profuse respiratory secretions, cardiac arrhythmias, coma and possibly death. Short term memory loss is permanent, thus the name Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. What
