She ate clams collected on the beach and became paralyzed. This is what happened to Kim Taia, a New Zealand woman who, thanks to the intervention of doctors, was miraculously saved after 12 hours of being paralyzed. The unfortunates, without realizing it – from what Nzherald reports – swallowed the clams’ crippling venom, a naturally occurring biotoxin – it is produced by a microalgae – which can contaminate mussels and molluscs. It happened in Maketu, New Zealand, on the shores of the Bay of Plenty in the North Island.
The poison in mussels
Telling what happened was the same Kim who did after recovering from the “accident”. shared his experiences to raise awareness of the risks of uncontrolled consumption of shellfish and mussels. The woman said she ate clams she collected from Little Wahi Beach in Maketu. And he’d taken it without worrying too much about the consequences. but The next day she woke up in pain: “My head went numb and I got dizzy – she said – I couldn’t speak clearly and I wondered what was going on, I was dizzy but then I started losing sensitivity in my hands and arms.”
Saved by a miracle
When he warned that the situation was getting worse and all couldn’t speak anymore the son immediately called the ambulance. Taken to hospital, woman said she felt ‘like under anesthesia’: “I felt weaker and weaker, my breathing slowed and I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t breathe.” Conditions began to improve after 12 hours. The effects of this biotoxin are devastating, affecting the nervous system and paralyzing muscles. Without medical intervention, it can be fatal.