19 May 2010
Members of the public are today (May 19) urged to avoid eating fresh scallops for the time being as the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has received another report of suspected paralytic shellfish poisoning.
A spokesman for CHP said that as at 3pm today, the centre had received a report of two more people falling sick after consuming fresh scallops, bringing to 28 the total number of affected people. They were suspected of having paralytic shellfish poisoning.
The two affected patients, a man and a woman from one cluster, were aged 36 and 43. Their main symptoms included limb weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, abdominal pain and nausea which occurred within an hour after consuming scallops at home last Wednesday (May 12). They did not seek medical attention then and both are currently asymptomatic.
According to preliminary histories, the fresh scallops were bought from a market in Tai Wai.
The case has been referred to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for follow up action.
Members of the public should seek medical advice immediately if they develop shellfish poisoning symptoms and save any leftovers for investigation and laboratory testing, the spokesman said.
The CHP's investigation continues.
The spokesman said shellfish poisoning could result from ingestion of bivalve shellfish such as scallops, clams, mussels, oysters and fan shells contaminated with phycotoxins produced by free-living micro-algae, upon which the shellfish feed.
Depending on the type of toxin, the clinical symptoms of shellfish poisoning include tingling, numbness, burning of perioral region, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Severe cases may have difficulty in speaking or breathing. Symptoms usually occur a few minutes to a few hours after consumption of the contaminated shellfish.