Shellfish can mess with your mind

Neuroskeptic: Beware The Clam of Forgetfulness

Fascinating story here about a rare problem with clams and mussels:

It turns out that there's a neurotoxin, domoic acid, which can indeed cause brain damage including memory loss. It's produced by certain algae, and can accumulate inside shellfish, especially mussels.

Domoic acid is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning, which struck a cluster of over 100 people in Canada in 1987; 4 died, and several others suffered permanent neurological symptoms, including epilepsy and most notoriously, anterograde amnesia, the inability to form new memories.

This could be a useful plot device in a movie:  criminal scientist tracks down witnesses to some evil deed he has committed and makes them forget by giving them doses of domoic acid.  [Maybe he has them over for mussels :) ]

Anyhow, I can apparently rest assured that I won't be killed by mussels or have my memory erased:

Since 1987, there have been no further cases in humans, thanks to shellfish harvesting regulations.

I certainly hope that's a failsafe system they have in place now.