The peril of paralytic shellfish poisoning has closed all beaches to all species along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Pillar Point west to Cape Flattery.
The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services said all species means clams – including geoduck – oysters, mussels and other invertebrates like moon snails.
In addition, the guts – or butter – of crabs can contain dangerous levels of the toxin, so clams should be cleaned thoroughly and the butter discarded.
The closure does not include shrimp.
Besides the western Strait, beaches also are closed to butter clams between Dungeness Spit and Pillar Point in Clallam County and from Cape George east to Marrowstone Island in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County beaches include Discovery Bay, Port Townsend, Kilisut Harbor, Mystery Bay, Oak Bay, Port Ludlow and Mats Mats Bay.
All Pacific Ocean beaches from Cape Flattery south through Grays Harbor County also are under seasonal closure.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning – also known as red tide, although water color is not a reliable indicator – is caused by a potent poison-producing microscopic organism known as Alexandrium catenella.
As little as 1 milligram can kill an adult human.
The poison acts very quickly, according to the state Department of Health, and has no antidote.
Symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may start within minutes of eating shellfish.
The tingling may progress to fingers and toes, followed by loss of control of arms and legs and, finally, difficulty breathing.
Death from paralysis of the respiratory system can occur within two hours of ingesting the poison.
About 15 percent of paralytic shellfish poisoning cases are fatal.
For more information about this closure, phone the marine biotoxin hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit the state Department of Health’s marine biotoxin Web site at http://ww4.doh.wa.gov/gis/biotoxin.htm.
For more information, phone the Clallam County Environmental Health Food Safety Program at 360-417-2328.
These health-related closures are in addition to closures regulated by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fish and Wildlife closures can be found on the department’s Web site: www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/shellfish/beachreg/.
The emergency regulation hotline is 1-866-880-5431.
