OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Health officials in Washington state say they have confirmed a case of shellfish poisoning in a person who ate butter clams that were recreationally harvested in Island County. The Washington state Department of Health said Thursday that the paralytic shellfish poisoning illness was found in a Snohomish County resident who experienced tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue and extremities. Officials say the butter clams had paralytic shellfish poisoning levels over five times the allowable level for harvest. Recreational butter and varnish clam harvesting have been closed because of the toxins since 2021 in most of Island and Snohomish counties. People who experience those symptoms and others including nausea and vomiting should seek medical care.
Butter clams cause shellfish poisoning in WA resident
