The toxins responsible for most shellfish poisonings are water-soluble, heat and acid-stable, and are not inactivated by ordinary cooking methods. The main toxin responsible for PSP is principally saxitoxin. Most shellfish only store this toxin for six weeks after a red tide passes, but some such as butterclams are known to store the toxin for up to two years. Additional toxins are foundm such as neosaxiton and gonyautoxins I to IV. All of them act primarily on the nervous system.
PSP can be fatal in extreme cases (particularly in those who are already immuno-suppressed). Children are more susceptible. PSP affects those who come into contact with the affected shellfish by ingestion.[1] Ten to thirty minutes after ingestion, symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and tingling or burning lips, gums, tongue, face, neck, arms, legs, and toes.[1] Shortness of breath, dry mouth, a choking feeling, confused or slurred speech, and lack of coordination are also possible.
PSP in Wild Marine Mammals
PSP has been implicated as a cause of sea ottermortality and morbidity in Alaska, as one of its primary prey items, the butterclam, (Saxidonus giganteus), bioaccumulates PSP as a chemical defense mechanism. In addition, ingestion of saxitoxin-containing mackerel has been implicated in the death of humpback whales.
Additional cases where PSP was suspected as the cause of death in Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) in the Mediterranean Sea have been questioned due to lack of additional testing to rule out other causes of mortality.
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