Eating shellfish from Northland's east coast is culinary Russian roulette, a Northland health official is warning.
Visitors to the region and Northlanders are being warned against eating shellfish.
The ban was implemented last week and covers an area from Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands north to Houhora Harbour.
The ban
was imposed because of high levels of the naturally occurring paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin that has been found to be triple the safe health limit in some shellfish.
The toxin can cause paralysis and death.
Northland Health medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman issued a warning to GPs this week after the first case of suspected PSP was reported. Symptoms of PSP include numbness and tingling around the mouth, face or extremities.
Victims can experience difficulty swallowing and breathing, dizziness, double vision and paralysis.
Mr Jarman said eating shellfish from the banned area was "simply not worth the risk".
The poison takes effect quickly and people in remote areas could find it is too late if they are struck down with it.
In a review of PSP outbreaks that occurred in Alaska between 1973 and 1992, 25 per cent of PSP patients required an emergency flight to a hospital, 3 per cent required ventilation (respiratory paralysis is the most common cause of death) and one out of 117 died.
Symptoms can occur within 30 minutes of eating shellfish and may last for up to 48 hours.
"The earlier the onset of symptoms, the more severe the illness. Children may be more susceptible than adults."
- NZPA
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
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