REFRAIN FROM CONSUMING SHELLFISH

DEPUTY Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Shirin advised people in Sabah to refrain from consuming shellfish and bivalve shellfish in the wake of the red tide.

They are urged to seek immediate treatment at the nearest hospital should they experience symptoms such as numbness, dizziness, vomiting and breathing difficulties, particularly after consuming cockles.

Tests on shellfish collected from areas affected with red tide revealed high concentrations of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins, which may be fatal in extreme cases.

State Health Director Dr. Christina Rundi confirmed on Saturday that two out of six people who were down with poisoning due to red tide after consuming shellfish have died.

Christina said that all six patients were found to have consumed cockles collected from Sepanggar waters.

According to hospital sources two patients, aged 14 and 9 suffered critical symptoms of severe anaphylactic shock and were diagnosed with PSP. Both passed away on January 2nd and January 4th respectively.

Sabah Fisheries Director Rayner Stuel Galid explained that samples of seawater taken off Sepanggar showed a toxin reading of 6,000 Mouse Units (MUs).

"The level is evidently very high because a reading of 400 MU is already toxic and dangerous," he said.

The red tide phenomenon has also been detected in waters off Papar, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran as well as Sitompok Lake in Kuala Penyu.

Rayner echoed Rosnah's call in urging the public to abstain from eating cockles, shellfish and small fishes.

"Deep sea fishes, squids and crabs can be consumed but they must be cleaned thoroughly and the gills must be discarded," he said. (Insight Sabah)