Vancouver Coastal Health has issued a public service announcement, stating that restaurants in that province must cook oysters harvested in British Columbia before serving. Only oysters harvested outside of that province may be served raw at this time. An ongoing outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus relating to the consumption of raw oysters is ongoing in Canada. This bacteria is naturally occurring in coastal waters. This illness increases in the summer months, but the outbreak is large enough this year to warrant this preventative measure. Thirty-one people have been sickened with Vibrio infections so far in Vancouver. The actual number of Vibrio illnesses is probably much higher, since most cases of foodborne illness are not reported to authorities. Only 16 cases were reported in … [Read more...]
Oregon Campylobacter Outbreak Associated with Coos Bay Oysters
A press release from the Oregon Health Authority states that Coos Bay Oyster Company of Charleston, Oregon is recalling all of its shucked oysters because they may be contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria. There have been three confirmed reported cases of Campylobacter linked to the shellfish. The oysters were purchased from two markets in Lane and Coos counties and harvested from Coos Bay, Oregon. The company recalled product on January 30, 2014 and expanded the recall to include all of the raw shucked oysters. Coos Bay Oyster Company has stopped production and distribution of the product while an investigation is underway. The shellfish was sold in plastic tubs in 1/2 gallon, quart, pint, and half-pint sizes, with sell-by dates from January 15 to February 17, 2014. The oysters … [Read more...]
Largest Multi-State Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2013: #5
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 … [Read more...]
Outbreak: Vibrio From Raw Oysters, Clams Sickens 104 in 13 States
A Vibrio outbreak associated with eating raw oysters and raw clams has sickened at least 104 people in 13 states over the last six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Six people have been hospitalized. Public health investigators have traced the source of some of these illnesses to shellfish harvest areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. Massachusetts issued a recall of oysters, Connecticut issued a recall of oysters and clams. Implicated harvest areas in Virginia were closed in July and remain closed. In Massachusetts, they were closed in August and remain closed. In New York they were closed in June and reopened in mid-September. In Connecticut, they were closed in August and reopened in mid-September. Reports of … [Read more...]
