Shellfish poisoning

Japanese: 貝毒 - かいどく（英語表記）Shellfish poisoning

This phenomenon occurs when bivalve shellfish, mainly clams and oysters, ingest toxins and accumulate them in their bodies by ingesting toxin-containing plankton. It can also refer to the accumulated toxins themselves or to the poisoning symptoms that occur in humans who eat large amounts of shellfish that have accumulated toxins. Shellfish poisoning occurs in Japan from February to August, and is most common around April and May. Food poisoning caused by shellfish poisoning occurs in various places from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and two types of shellfish poisoning have been confirmed so far: paralytic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. Both types of poison are heat-resistant and do not break down even when heated. Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning include numbness of the tongue, lips, and face, while symptoms of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. In Japan, since 1980, the shipping of shellfish that exceed the government's shellfish poisoning limit has been restricted, so food poisoning is believed to be caused by wild shellfish harvested on the coast or near river mouths.

(2014-05-19)

Source: Asahi Shimbun Publications About Chiekura Mini Information

Japanese:

主にアサリやカキなどの二枚貝が毒素を持つプランクトンを摂取することで体内に毒を蓄積させる現象。蓄積された毒そのものや、毒を蓄積した貝を大量に食べた人間に起こる中毒症状を指す場合もある。日本国内における貝毒の発生は2月から8月にかけて見られ、4〜5月頃に最も多い。貝毒による食中毒は北海道から沖縄までの各地で発生しており、これまでに麻痺性貝毒と下痢性貝毒の二つの貝毒の発生が確認されている。いずれの毒も熱に強く、加熱しても分解されない。麻痺性貝毒では舌や唇、顔面などのしびれ、下痢性貝毒では下痢、おう吐、吐き気、腹痛といった症状が現れる。日本では1980年以降、国の定める貝毒の規制値を超えた貝類は出荷規制されているため、食中毒の発生は海岸や河口付近で採取された天然の貝類が原因とされている。

(2014-5-19)

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