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General Information

Event name: US-03-025
Country: UNITED STATES
Nature of the harmful event:
 Seafood toxins
Event directly affected:
Toxicity detected: Yes (Approximate range: 125 µg STXeq / 100 g.)
Associated syndrome: PSP
Unexplained toxicity: No
Species implicated in toxin transmission (transvector): Blue Mussels
Report the outcome of a monitoring programme: Yes (WA Dept. of Health, office of Food Safety & Shellfish Programs, Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Program)
Event occurred before in this location: Yes (Most of the inlets of North Puget Sound have had previous PSP closures.)
Individuals to contact: COX, Frank

Location & Date

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Location: Latitude: 48.983333, Longitude: -122.766667
General location information: North Puget Sound., Washington, Pacific NW.
HAB Area code(s): US-24
Additional location information: Drayton Harbor, a North Puget Sound area located at the Canadian border in Whatcom County.
Bloom event dates (yyyy/mm/dd): Start: 2003-05-20, End: 2003-06-13
Quarantine levels dates (yyyy/mm/dd):
Additional date-related information: Recreational shellfish closures began May 20, 2003 and ended by June 13, 2003.

Microalgae

Causative organism known: Yes
Causative Species/Genus: Alexandrium catenella ( cells/L)
Co-Ocurring Species/Genus:
Chlorophyll concentration, if known: µg/l
Additional bloom information:
Event-related bibliography:

Environmental Conditions

Weather: Turbidity (NTU): Wind direction:
Stratified water: No Oxygen content (nL/L): Wind velocity:
Temperature (°C): Oxygen saturation %: Current Direction:
Sechhi disk (m): Salinity: Current Velocity: 0
Nutrient information:
Temperature Range During Event: Max: °C, Min: °C
Salinity Range During Event:
Bloom location in the water column:
Growth:
Growth Comments
Additional Environmental information:

Toxin Assay Information

Species containing the toxin Toxin type Toxin details Max. concentration Assay type
Blue mussels Saxitoxins STX eq 125 Bioassay-Mouse
Kit used: No Type of kit used:
Additional information:
Economic losses: Recreational and commercial shellfish harvest seasons were interrupted, causing an economic loss to the North Puget Sound Washington communities.
Management decision: DOH closed shellfish harvesting at impacted areas to protect public health.
Additional harmful effect information:
IOC/UNESCO ISSHA
IOC/UNESCO ICES PICES