A Vibrio outbreak associated with raw shellfish that sickened at least 104 people in 13 states was the fifth-largest outbreak of 2013. The outbreak, which began in May and lasted through September, hospitalized six people.
Public health investigators interviewed 82 of the people who got sick and gathered their food histories. Seventy five of them, or 91 percent, reported eating raw oysters or raw clams in the week before illness began.
The age range for those who became ill was 22 years to 85 years old with a median of 51 years old. About 62 percent of the patients were male. The states where illnesses were reported were: California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Shellfish harvest areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia were identified as the source of some of the illnesses. Massachusetts issued a recall of oysters, Connecticut issued a recall of oysters and clams. Harvest areas in the implicated states were closed for a time.
There are several species of Vibrio bacteria. This outbreak was caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus . Symptoms of an infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. People at high risk for food poisoning from Vibrio should not eat raw shellfish. They include people with weakened immune systems including pregnant women, those with chronic liver disease.
Oysters contaminated with Vibrio won’t taste off or look unusual. The only thing that destroys Vibrio is heat, so cooking oysters is a safe way to consume them. For those who like raw oysters, pasteurized oysters are the safest option. Check Food Poisoning Bulletin tomorrow for the fourth-largest outbreak.
