New Zealand Food Safety has issued an extension to its previous public health warning advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish harvested from the Western Firth of Thames.
The extension will include the entire Firth of Thames up to a line from Raukura Point across to Deadmans Point.
Included shellfish are mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish. Cooking these shellfish will not remove the toxin.
However, Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed before cooking, as the toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed, its contents could contaminate the meat during cooking.
Symptoms typically appear between 10 minutes and 3 hours after ingestion. They may include numbness and tingling around the mouth, face, and extremities, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
If some become ill after eating shellfish from an area where a public health warning has been issued, they are encouraged to phone Healthline for advice at 0800 61 11 16 or seek medical attention immediately.
The public is also advised to contact their nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish in case it can be tested.
For more information, please click here.
