Shellfish Toxins

Shellfish toxins are often associated with the presence of harmful algal blooms, when toxins can accumulate in shellfish and cause disease in humans. The toxins are concentrated in the shellfish, which act as a vector transferring the toxic compounds to the food chain. Control of the presence of these toxins in food is required as they can cause neurotoxic, diarrhetic, paralytic, or amnesic poisoning.

Many toxins can accumulate in shellfish and cause disease in humans. The four shellfish poisoning syndromes are paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). The most well-known paralytic shellfish toxin is saxitoxin. Domoic acid causes amnesic shellfish poisoning. Okadaic acid causes diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. Brevetoxins are the cause of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.