City residents have been advised against consuming shellfish gathered from the Puerto Princesa Bay in this city, as the latest Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) bulletin warned that the area remains affected by red tide.
The BFAR Shellfish Bulletin No. 21 raised the red tide warning over Puerto Princesa Bay and 13 other coastal areas in the country after laboratory samples returned positive for Pyrodinium bahamense, a microorganism that causes toxic shellfish poisoning.
A similar advisory was also flagged in the Inner Malampaya Sound by the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) dated October 13.
The public was urged to refrain from buying, selling, and eating shellfish, especially of the Acetes sp. (small shrimp used to make “alamang”).
Consuming shellfish with red tide toxin may affect an individual’s nervous system within 30 minutes. Initial reactions may include tingling, first in the lips and tongue, spreading to the face, neck, fingertips, and toes.
Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, and nausea. In severe cases, people may experience muscular paralysis and respiratory difficulty within 5 to 12 hours. Fatalities from respiratory paralysis have been reported.
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