Incidence of human illness: Paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused by consumption of contaminated shellfish. Usually by consumption of mussels, clams, cockles and scallops or broth made from cooked shellfish that contain either concentrated saxitoxin, an alkaloid neurotoxin or related compounds (FDA 2003). Globally, paralytic shellfish poisons are responsible for some 2000 cases of human poisoning per year, with around 15 per cent mortality (Hallegraeff 2003).
Lehane (2000) has undertaken a comprehensive review of paralytic shellfish poisons which indicates that, while potentially lethal concentrations of paralytic shellfish poisons have been detected in shellfish, there have been no documented outbreaks in Australia. Table 4.11 lists the number and the annual rates of algal biotoxin-related illness in the United States and Australia for the years 1990–2000.
Table 4.11: Algal biotoxin related outbreaks of food-borne illness in Australia and the United States, 1990–2000
