Working Together for Shellfish Safety
During One Health Month, learn how the Department of Health works to keep shellfish safe for all
Shellfish are a great food source, and we have a lot of them here in Washington. In fact, Washington is one of the top producers of farmed shellfish in the United States.
There’s a lot to love about shellfish. They aren’t just a good source of lean protein, healthy fats, and minerals. Eating shellfish can help reduce your carbon footprint, and purchasing Washington shellfish can support the local economy.
But occasionally, people do get sick from eating shellfish.
“Keeping people from getting sick is our first priority, but sometimes this does happen. When it does, we have to identify what made them sick and try to prevent further illnesses,” says Dani Toepelt, manager of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Shellfish Licensing & Certification Program.
There’s a large network of people who work together so you can eat shellfish with confidence. This network includes growers and processors, retailers, local health agencies, state agencies, and federal agencies.
Safe waters
Shellfish safety starts with safe water in growing areas. DOH’s Growing Area Program tests water quality and checks the pollution risk in the watersheds. They collect bacteria samples from over 1,700 marine water stations throughout Puget Sound and the coast. They consider septic systems, farms, wildlife, wastewater treatment plants, boating activities and anything else that might have an impact on marine water. They use all of this information to create guidelines for when shellfish can be harvested in each growing area.
Pollution isn’t the only water quality issue that can affect shellfish safety. Some conditions can lead to the emergency closure of a growing area. Examples of these conditions include spills, heavy rainfall, or flooding.
Bacteria that live naturally in water can also affect shellfish safety. Oysters eat by filtering the water around them. When there is a lot of a bacteria called vibrio in the water, it builds up in the oysters’ guts. Eating those oysters raw can cause an illness called vibriosis. You can protect yourself by always cooking your shellfish before eating it.
Blooms of algae and phytoplankton (tiny plants in the water) can create biotoxins that build up in shellfish meat and guts. Cooking doesn’t get rid of these biotoxins, and people can get sick from eating the biotoxins. However, DOH can run tests to check for these toxins. The agency may proactively close shellfish growing areas with high levels of these toxins to reduce the chances of people getting sick.
Shellfish and water samples from Washington’s many shellfish growing areas go to DOH’s Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline for testing. Based on the results, DOH can close any growing area to protect people’s health. Before the area can reopen for shellfish harvesting, multiple tests must show the water and shellfish are safe.
Safe handling
Washington has about 350 commercial companies working in the shellfish industry. These companies include harvesters, wholesalers, shippers, and shucker-packers.
These companies are key to keeping shellfish safe. Before they can get a license, they must complete training in shellfish safety. Once in business, they maintain sanitary conditions, make sure shellfish are cooled quickly and kept cool, and keep records for tracing any potential illnesses.
DOH sends inspectors out to shellfish companies up to 4 times a year to make sure they follow regulations.
Tracing illness to keep shellfish safe for everyone
If someone does get sick from eating shellfish, an investigation can trace the shellfish back to the source and address it. This helps keep more people from getting sick.
It’s important to call your local health department if you get sick after eating shellfish. The health department will notify DOH. Local health staff will do food interviews to find out what kind of shellfish you ate, where and when you ate the shellfish, and any other relevant details.
The interview provides information to start tracing the cause. DOH can review records from the point of sale, transporters, processors, and growers to check if the shellfish ever got too warm or were contaminated. DOH can also do more testing in the growing area to check if water quality was the cause. Based on the results of the investigation, DOH may issue a recall or close a shellfish growing area to protect people from illness.
Shellfish-related illness causes many of the same symptoms as the stomach flu, and these symptoms may not develop right away. People who get sick may assume it’s from the last thing they ate, but it could be from the shellfish they ate 2 days ago. As a result, most cases are not reported or diagnosed.
DOH can only investigate if we know you got sick. If you feel ill after eating shellfish, even a few days later, call your county health office or use the Foodborne Illness Notification System to let us know. You are an important part of keeping shellfish safe for everyone to eat!
We are publishing this article in observance of One Health Month. One Health is the idea that human, animal and environmental health are all connected. Shellfish safety is a great example of how animals and the environment can have an impact on human health. At DOH, we are working across these areas to tackle health challenges. This approach is important for dealing with complex issues like emerging diseases and climate change.
