Paralytic shellfish poisoning

From Ganfyd

Classically start with numbness/tingling around face If case reported to you, (even mild) throw it up the notification chain Supportive care There is no antidote

Caused by so called "red tide" saxitoxin poisoning originating from certain maraine dinoflagellates. Some shell fish are more risky than others, both because they can accumate more (and not die themselves) and differential metabolism of the toxin. A medical emergency,

• tingling/numbness lips and face.
• dizziness and nauseous
• ataxia
• progressing to paralyis
• death

You may save others by notifying the first mild case, as its easy to identify by a reproducable mouse bioassay that may not have been done in areas where commercial contamination is rare or where those affected have harvested their own shellfish.