The Federal Commission of Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) issued a statement warning about the presence of a toxin in certain harvested oysters and clams coming from Puerto Adolfo López Mateos-Estero Buena Vista in Baja California Sur.

Analysis carried out by the Public Health State Lab in La Paz detected the presence of marine toxin saxitoxin in bivalve mollusks. It should be noted that oysters, clams, razor shells, mussels, wedge clams, and naval shipworms are all bivalve mollusks.

As such, a precautionary suspension on the extraction, trade, and consumption of bivalve mollusks has been established in the affected area, which began last May 4 and will continue until further notice. The measure was taken in order to prevent any risks against public health and guarantee the safety of consumers.

COFEPRIS has warned the population not to eat oysters from the affected area and to keep an eye on recommendations by health authorities to avoid any risk of intoxication.

Saxitoxin is a neurotoxin that occurs in certain aquatic microalgae, such as dinoflagellate and cyanobacteria. These algae are unicellular organisms that can multiply quickly and reach concentrations of millions of cells per liter of water in favorable conditions.

Poisoning caused by dangerous levels of saxitoxin when eating seafood is known as paralytic shellfish poisoning.

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