Azaspiracids, produced by some species of the dinoflagellate genera Azadinium and Amphidoma, can cause a syndrome in humans called azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (AZP). In 1995, mussels from the Irish west coast contaminated with azaspiracids were, for the first time, linked to this human illness that has symptoms of nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and stomach cramps. The only confirmed cases of AZP to date in the United States occurred in Washington State in 2008 from mussels imported from Ireland. Shortly after this case, several others involving similar gastrointestinal symptoms were reported by shellfish consumers from Washington State. However, no detectable diarrhetic shellfish toxins or Vibrio contamination were found. Cursory analysis of Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers suggested the presence of azaspiracids in Washington State waters and motivated a study to evaluate the presence and distribution of Azadinium species in the region. During the spring and summer months of 2014–2015, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses detected the presence of the toxigenic species Azadinium poporum and A. spinosum on the outer coast and throughout the inland waters of Washington State. In 2016–2018, standard curves developed using A. poporum isolated from Puget Sound and A. spinosum isolated from the North Sea were used to quantify abundances of up to 10,525 cells L⁻¹ of A. poporum and 156 cells L⁻¹ of A. spinosum at shore-based sites. Abundances up to 1,206 cells L⁻¹ of A. poporum and 30 cells L⁻¹ of A. spinosum were measured in the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest in 2017. Other harmful genera, including Alexandrium, Dinophysis, and Pseudo-nitzschia, were observed using light microscopy at coastal sites where A. poporum was also observed. In some samples where both A. poporum and A. spinosum were absent, an Amphidomataceae-specific qPCR assay indicated that other species of Azadinium or Amphidoma were present. The identification of Azadinium species in the PNW demonstrates the need to assess their toxicity and to incorporate their routine detection in monitoring programs to aid resource managers in mitigating risks to azaspiracid shellfish poisoning in this region.

由壬二鞭毛藻属和双歧杆菌属的一些物种产生的氮杂spiracids可以在人类中引起一种称为氮杂spiracid贝类中毒（AZP）的综合征。1995年，来自爱尔兰西海岸的被氮杂螺菌酸污染的贻贝第一次与这种人类疾病有关，这种人类疾病具有恶心，呕吐，严重腹泻和胃痉挛的症状。迄今为止，美国迄今为止唯一确诊的AZP病例是在华盛顿州从爱尔兰进口的贻贝中发现的。此案发生后不久，华盛顿州的贝类消费者报告了其他一些类似的胃肠道症状。但是，没有可检测到的腹泻性贝类毒素或弧菌发现污染。固相吸附毒素跟踪（SPATT）采样器的Cursory分析表明，华盛顿州水域中存在氮杂螺菌酸，并激发了一项研究以评估该地区Azadinium物种的存在和分布。在2014–2015年的春季和夏季，定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）分析检测到华盛顿州外沿岸和整个内陆水域都存在有产毒物种Azadinium poporum和A. spinosum。在2016–2018年，使用从Puget Sound分离的A. poporum和从北海分离的A. spinosum制定的标准曲线用于量化多达10,525个细胞的丰度。^-1的A. poporum和156传感器L ^-1的A.棘在岸基站点。丰度达1 206个传感器L ^-1的A. poporum和30个传感器L ^-1的A.棘在西北太平洋沿海水域测量在2017年其他有害属，包括亚历山大，鳍藻和拟菱形藻，分别为使用光学显微镜在沿海地区也观察到了A. poporum。在一些样品中，A。poporum和A. spinosum如果没有，两栖动物科特异的qPCR分析表明存在其他种类的Azadinium或Amphidoma。在PNW中对Azadinium物种的鉴定表明，有必要评估其毒性并将其常规检测纳入监测计划，以帮助资源管理者减轻该地区氮杂阿司匹林贝类中毒的风险。