愛污传媒

Skip to main content

U.S. FDA says to avoid eating cicadas 'if you're allergic to seafood'

An adult cicada crawls through the grass in Chevy Chase, Md., Monday, May 10. (Carolyn Kaster/AP) An adult cicada crawls through the grass in Chevy Chase, Md., Monday, May 10. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Share

Cicadas might seem like a crispy, protein-packed snack, but people with seafood allergies should think twice about eating them, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We have to say it," the FDA Wednesday. "Don't eat #cicadas if you're allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters."

The loud, cacophonous bugs first emerged in May on the East Coast as part of "Brood X," which comes out every 17 years, according to the . The agency says the brood is centered around Pennsylvania, northern Virginia, Indiana and eastern Tennessee.

To some, the brood's emergence is an awe-inspiring experience, worthy of and endless . To others, cicadas can be a creepy, inescapable nuisance (one recently CNN's chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, during preparations for a live shot).

The brittle insects might be annoying, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cicadas aren't harmful to humans, pets or gardens. If cats or dogs eat them, though, "this may temporarily cause an upset stomach or vomiting, but there is no need to worry if a pet eats a small number of cicadas," the .

"Cicadas don't sting or bite. Cicadas are not toxic," the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine late last month. Still, their "crunchy/crispy exoskeleton can irritate the stomach lining if eaten in large volumes and can be a potential choking hazard, especially for small dogs."

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.