CDPH Lifts Warning to Not Consume Sport-Harvested Whole Dungeness Crab from the Northern California Coast

December 16, 2024  
SN24-022 ​

What you Need to Know​: CDPH is lifting its warning about not consuming sport-harvested whole Dungeness crab from one area along the Northern California coast. 

Sacramento​– The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has lifted the shellfish safety notificati​on for not consuming spor​t-harvested whole Dungeness crab caught in state waters located at: ​

• ​CA/OR border (42° 0.00' N. Latitude) to Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6' N. Latitude) 
  

Recent laboratory analyses show that domoic acid levels in the internal organs of Dungeness crab harvested along the coastal areas of northern California have declined to low or undetectable levels. CDPH has lifted its Whole Dungeness Crab Advisory dated November 1, 2024, where the public was warned to not consume any sport-harvested whole Dungeness crab. Currently, there are no warnings for domoic acid in Dungeness crab viscera from the above areas, and there have been no reported illnesses associated with this event. 

Consumers are advised to always discard the viscera and cooking liquids and adhere to the following best preparation practices to avoid any inadvertent exposure to domoic acid that may be sporadically found in the crab’s viscera. It is always best to remove the viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking (i.e., boil, steam, or fry). If whole crab are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid. The cooking water or broth should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broth, soups, or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings, or dips. 

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the consumer may experience trouble breathing, confusion, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. 

Test results are updated as laboratory results become available and can be viewed on the CDPH Domoic Acid webpage. Please visit CDPH’s Domoic Acid FAQ (PDF) for more information. To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. ​