Dungeness Crabs Are Toxic, Declares California Health Department

They've been found to contain potentially fatal levels of domoic acid.

Bad news for shellfish aficionados: This year's Dungeness crab season is off to a rough start. The California Department of Health is warning consumers not to eat Dungeness crabs caught off California's coastline until further notice, as they've been found to contain "potentially deadly levels of domoic acid," reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The damning news comes just days before the official start of Dungeness crab fishing season, which is slated to begin November 15. Officials say consumption of the toxic crabs "can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and headache"; more severe side effects may include "permanent short-term memory loss, coma, seizures," and, in the case of more severe poisoning, death. Domoic acid is a naturally occuring compound produced by algae; per the Chronicle, fishermen believe this year's warmer-than-usual water temperatures are to blame.

The state's wildlife commission is slated to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday morning to determine what action should be taken, but authorities are recommending that the Dungeness crab season be delayed. The Chronicle notes that while restaurants can source crabs from other regions, many in the fishing industry earn a large portion of their income during Dungeness crab season.

No crab-related illnesses have been reported as of yet. It's not the first scare for seafood lovers this year: Back in May, the CDC warned that cases of Vibrio, a food-borne illness typically spread through the consumption of raw shellfish, were on the rise due to warmer waters caused by climate change.

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