The state has closed all Dartmouth waters to shellfishing due to the detection of a life-threatening algae.

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has banned shellfish harvesting following a burst in algae contamination in Buzzards Bay waters.

The detected paralytic shellfish poisoning algae can not only result in discolored waters, but can contaminate filter-feeding shellfish with life threatening toxins. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) can occur if shellfish are consumed. Symptoms — which include tingling, numbness, and burning of the perioral region, ataxia, giddiness, drowsiness, fever, rash, and staggering — are purely neurological and their onset is rapid. The most severe cases result in respiratory arrest within 24 hours of consumption of the toxic shellfish. There is no antidote.

In non-lethal cases, the effects last a few days.

PSP is prevented by large-scale proactive monitoring programs (assessing toxin levels in mussels, oysters, scallops, clams) and rapid closures of suspect or demonstrated toxic areas to harvest, according to authorities.

Excluded from the ban are bay scallop and conch (welk) harvesting, in which the digestive tract is not ingested by humans.