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Jul 09, 2023

Vibrio Outbreak in CT, NY, FL Linked to 8 Deaths

4. Don’t consume raw oysters or other raw shellfish taken from warm coastal waters during the summer months. Instead, cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly. Boil shucked oysters at least

4. Don’t consume raw oysters or other raw shellfish taken from warm coastal waters during the summer months. Instead, cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly. Boil shucked oysters at least three minutes, or fry them in oil at least 10 minutes at 375°F, according to the Florida Health Department.

5. Wear gloves when handling raw shellfish, and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water when finished.

States do monitor commercial shellfish for vibrio, and some require commercial harvesters to take measures to reduce the risk of selling contaminated shellfish. In Connecticut, where oysters are harvested from Long Island Sound, the Department of Agriculture has conducted routine monitoring for V. parahaemolyticus, a different species of vibrio, since 2013 and for V. vulnificus since 2022. (Thus far, V. vulnificus has not been present in any shellfish.) 

From July through September, when vibrio are more prevalent in the waters, commercial harvesters in Connecticut are required to rapidly cool shellfish taken aboard their boats as well as take other steps to control the pathogen, according to the agency.

Health officials have observed spikes in vibriosis cases during and after flooding from hurricanes in the Gulf region. In 2022, there were 38 cases (and 11 deaths) attributed to the storm despite public health messages on the importance of avoiding contact with floodwaters, particularly for those with open wounds. Spikes in vibriosis cases also occurred after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, according to the CDC.

Yes. About a dozen species of vibrio can cause illness. In the U.S., the most common of these rare pathogens are V. parahaemolyticus, which can cause diarrhea. Another is V. alginolyticus, which can cause gastroenteritis, ear infections and sepsis.

No. Cholera is a distinct diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with a different species of vibrio, V. cholerae bacteria. Modern water and sewage treatment systems have largely wiped out the disease in the U.S. Nearly all domestic cholera cases involve people who were infected in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia or Haiti where the disease persists.

Peter Urban is a contributing writer and editor who focuses on health news. Urban spent two decades working as a correspondent in Washington, D.C., including a stint as Washington bureau chief for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and for daily newspapers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, California and Arkansas, His freelance work has appeared in Scientific American, Bloomberg Government and CTNewsJunkie.com.

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