Shellfish collected for laboratory analysis from the coastal waters of Roxas City and municipalities of
Ivisan, Sapian, Panay, Pilar and President Roxas have tested positive for Paralytic Shellfish Poison or
toxic red tide that is beyond the regulator limit.
The result is embodied in the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Shellfish Bulletin No.
20 issued last Aug. 26.
“All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from the areas are not safe for human
consumption,” stressed the BFAR bulletin.
However, it added that fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that
they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed
before cooking.
An on-site epidemiological investigation by the Capiz Epidemiological Surveillance and Response Unit
(CESRU) revealed that a total of 32 suspected PSP cases, including one death, were recorded in Pilar,
Pontevedra and Roxas City.
The identified cases manifested numbness, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain and diarrhea, among
others, after eating green mussels or tahong.
All the 31 suspected PSP patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospitalization as of
Aug. 29.
Gov. Fredenil Castro, in an official statement last Aug. 22, has advised the general public to
temporarily abstain from gathering, harvesting, transporting, selling, and consuming any type of
shellfish.
The PSP also affected the same coastal areas in the province last September 2022. (PIA Capiz)
