Story highlights Health officials say dangerous levels of domoic acid in crab

Domoic acid is naturally occurring toxin that can't be cleaned or cooked away

Domoic acid poisoning causes dizziness, vomiting, and in severe cases, death

(CNN) Put down the California crab legs -- they could be poisonous.

"Due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid," Dungeness and rock crabs caught in waters between the Oregon borders and the southern Santa Barbara County line pose a "significant risk to the public if consumed," the California Department of Public Health said in a release.

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Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin produced from "some species of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia," the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

A massive bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia, brought by warmer water temperatures associated with the El Nino event, is causing high levels of the acid.

Marine animals, such as crabs, that filter their food through seawater may accumulate the toxins. While the toxins, which are colorless and odorless, don't seem to harm the animals accumulating them, people who eat the animals may become poisoned.

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