CDPH Lifts Rock Crab Health Advisory in Portions of San Mateo County - South of Pillar Point
Date: 1/25/2017
Number: 17-008
Contact: Ali Bay or Corey Egel | 916.440.7259
SACRAMENTO ā The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the health advisory for rock crabs caught in state waters in all areas south of Latitude 37Ā° 30ā N, near Pillar Point. CDPH lifted this advisory today due to recent tests showing that traces of domoic acid have declined to low or undetectable levels in rock crabs caught in the area, indicating that they are safe to consume.
This partial lifting comes after the
July 6, 2016 announcement lifting the advisory for rock crabs caught in state waters south of Latitude 37Ā° 11' N (near Pigeon Point), and north of Latitude 36Ā° 58.72' N (near Sand Hill Bluff, approximately nine miles north of the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance).
The advisory remains in effect for rock crabs caught in state waters north of Latitude 37Ā° 30ā N (near Pillar Point).
Rock crabs caught in the area south of Latitude 37Ā° 30ā N are safe to consume. However, as a precaution, consumers are advised not to eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as ābutterā or āgutsā) of crabs. The viscera usually contain much higher levels of domoic acid than crab body meat. When whole crabs are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach from the viscera into the cooking liquid. Water or broth used to cook whole crabs should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broths, soups or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings or dips.
The best ways to reduce risk are to:
- Remove the crab viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking, or
- Boil or steam whole crabs, instead of frying or broiling, and discard the viscera and cooking liquids.
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this yearās domoic acid event.
Domoic acid accumulation in seafood is a natural occurrence that is related to a ābloomā of a particular single-celled plant. The conditions that support the growth of this plant are impossible to predict. CDPH will continue to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the fishing community to collect rock crab samples from the California coast until the remaining domoic acid levels have dissipated.
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