A co-worker of mine says that she's allergic to mussels but has no problem with clams. She told me that on two occasions she became ill after eating mussels. The second occasion she had ordered paella but without mussels. Yet apparently there was some trace of mussels in the mix.

Her symptoms were nausea/vomiting, headache and much dizziness.

I told her that I hadn't heard of such an allergy and I would expect her to also be sensitive to clams (but perhaps not). I said it was more likely that she experienced poisoning. Her response to me was, "But twice?"

Checking the FDA site, she lacked some of the symptoms of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. Dizziness and gastrointestinal symptoms are consistent with Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning, yet she didn't experience numbness/tingling of the lips, tongue, throat.

I told her I would ask about her situation on the list-serv.

David Kirsh
Durham, NC



"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." -- G.B. Shaw

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