TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas on Thursday has cautioned the public against eating shellfish and other sea products coming from the coastal waters and bays in the region which were reportedly positive for Paralytic Shellfish Poison or toxic red tide.
The warning came following the alleged poisoning of 31 individuals from Barangay Parasan, Daram, Samar who were rushed to the Samar Provincial Hospital and rural health unit after consuming green mussels (tahong) harvested from the waters of Daram and Zumarraga, Samar.
Initial reports from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of DOH Eastern Visayas disclosed that the victims complained of headache, body numbness, extremity numbness, dizziness, vomiting and abdominal pain.
As of this writing, 20 are still admitted at the Samar Provincial Hospital while 11 are treated as outpatient.
Jelyn Lopez Malibago, DOH-8 regional information officer, said further investigation is being conducted as she advised the public to heed the advisories issued by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Per BFAR advisory dated September 25, shellfish ban remains in seven coastal waters in the region after it tested positive of “saxitoxin” causing paralytic shellfish poisoning of the shellfish meat samples collected from the following waters in Samar: Daram island, Zumarraga island, Cambatutay bay in Tarangnan, Irong-Irong bay in Catbalogan City, and Maqueda bay (Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao and Hinabangan).
Also positive for toxic red tide are Matarinao bay in Eastern Samar (General MacArthur, Quinapondan, Hernani and Salcedo) and Carigara bay in Leyte (Babatngon, San Miguel, Barugo, Carigara and Capoocan).
Meanwhile, local red tide warning is still up in the coastal waters of Biliran; Calbayog City and Villareal bay in Samar; and the coastal waters of Leyte, Leyte. (CBA, PIA Eastern Visayas with reports from DOH-8 and BFAR-8)
