A “probable case” of paralytic shellfish poisoning was reported this past weekend related to clams harvested at Kenai Peninsula’s Clam Gulch, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Department officials said Monday in a press release that a Kenai resident had harvested razor and possibly butter clams around noon on Sunday, ate the clams later that day, and became ill overnight. Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning include a floating sensation, tingling of the lips and tongue, vomiting, headache, shortness of breath and loss of control of arms and legs. The toxin can cause death within two hours. Health officials said there is no official confirmation of the illness since the person did not seek medical care and there was no food available to test for the toxin. All locally harvested shellfish can contain the toxin, including clams, mussels, oysters, geoducks and scallops, the release stated, and it cannot be cooked, cleaned or frozen out of shellfish. Crabmeat is not known to contain the toxin, but crab guts can and should be discarded, officials added. Clam Gulch is on the Kenai Peninsula, between Soldotna and Homer. The possibly toxic clams were harvested “around 1.5 miles down the beach, near the big tower,” the release stated.
