Mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina and all other bivalve shellfish should not be eaten if harvested from the area.
Cooking the shellfish would not remove the toxin.
Paua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut was completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut was not removed its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process.
MPI said symptoms typically appeared between 10 minutes and three hours after eating and included:
- numbness and a tingling around the mouth, face and hands and feet
- difficulty swallowing or breathing
- dizziness
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
MPI advised anyone who became ill after eating shellfish collected from where the public health warning was issued should phone Healthline advice on 0800 61 11 16 or seek medical attention immediately.
MPI also advised people to contact the nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish for testing.
Monitoring of toxin levels would continue and any changes would be announced. Commercially harvested shellfish - sold in shops and supermarkets - was subject to strict water and flesh monitoring programmes by MPI to ensure they were safe to ear.