FILE: A sea star clasps to tightly packed mussels off the shore of Depoe Bay, Ore., on Aug. 15, 2023. Depoe Bay is not located within the coastal area associated with a recent illness outbreak linked to mussels.
April Ehrlich / OPB
Oregon health officials are urging people to discard any mussels they’ve harvested since Saturday along a stretch of the Oregon Coast.
An outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning has sickened at least 20 people who harvested mussels between the Washington border and Seal Rock State Park. The foodborne illness can be deadly, especially for children. Symptoms can include numbness of the mouth and lips, nausea and vomiting.
Anyone who may have eaten the mussels and is feeling ill should seek medical help immediately or call the Oregon Poison Center at 800-222-1222.
The affected area of the coastline has now been closed to recreational mussel harvesting.
Wildlife officials say paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused by a natural marine biotoxin, and the outbreak is not related to recent reports of oil along the north Oregon coast.
