Three people became sick recently after eating raw oysters collected from the same private grounds off Fisherman Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore. They ate the oysters at restaurants in Massachusetts and Maryland, victims of a pathogen that grows naturally in warm waters known as Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
It is the less potent of two Vibrio strains -- the tougher kind can kill humans -- and typically hits unlucky consumers with vomiting, diarrhea and other stomach ailments. In one of the three reported cases, the person was ill for 10 days, said Keith Skiles, an oyster sanitation specialist with the Virginia Department of Health.
Skiles said Virginia has never experienced "an outbreak" of this kind before, defined by national rules as more than two cases of Vibrio stemming from the same waters.
"We hope it never gets us again," Skiles said Monday, three days after the health department announced it was closing down the Fisherman Island waters for the next year. A news release issued late Friday did not mention the word "outbreak," saying instead the closure was part of an "emergency."
The incident opens the door to renewed debate about allowing oysters to be harvested in warm summer months.
On public grounds, oystering is limited to the fall and winter, when Vibrio and other potentially dangerous pathogens are not active. But the state grants oyster farmers the right to harvest from their private beds any time they want to -- as long as they take precautions against contaminants that might be present.
The word "outbreak" is one that states and seafood merchants work overtime to avoid, knowing how it quickly can sink reputations and kill consumer demand.
The Virginia Marine Products Board, which markets state seafood, said it was unaware Monday of the Fisherman Island outbreak but would seek information right away. It said it had not received any calls from other businesses in other states.
Several seafood buyers contacted Monday said they, too, had not heard of the incident but expressed concern that word would spread quickly.
The closed waters around Fisherman Island affect only oysters and clams, not fish. It is possible the area could be reopened sooner than a year, Skiles said, depending on what water quality samples showed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Board of Directors of International Development & Investment Corporation (IDI) is confident of completing this year's profit plan in the context of gradually recovering demand for pangasius in China and Mexico.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Some farmers in Soc Trang province have successfully applied a balanced biological shrimp farming technique, which eliminates the use of chemicals to minimize environmental impacts. This is a model of farming that adapts to climate change.
8 finalists have been named in the best new seafood product competition to be awarded at Seafood Expo Asia, taking place 4 to 6 September at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The "Cooking Show - Tasting delicious seafood" area at Vietfish 2024 organized by VASEP has always been a favorite highlight for visitors, especially domestic consumers. This area is not only a place to showcase a variety of flavors and high-quality Vietnamese products that are renowned in the global market but also a venue where consumers can experience captivating and visually appealing culinary performances by professional chefs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's shrimp exports reached $375 million in July 2024, a 17% increase from July 2023. Shrimp exports in July recorded the highest value since the beginning of the year and this is also the month when Vietnam's shrimp exports saw the best growth rate since February this year. In the first 7 months of this year, the shrimp export turnover reached over $2 billion, up 8% compared to the same period last year.
The rice-shrimp cultivation area of Thoi Binh district in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau has received Best Aquaculture Practices' (BAP) certification of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the past 7 months, the weather situation did not fluctuate much, contributing to ensuring favorable conditions for fishing and aquaculture activities in Da Nang. The total output of fisheries and aquaculture in the past 7 months increased compared to the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With Japan currently a key market, the business results of Sao Ta Food Joint Stock Company (stock code FMC) in the second half of this year are expected to benefit from the Yen's appreciation again.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of July 2024, Can Tho City's total fishery output was estimated at 137,963 tons, a 11.32% increase compared to the same period last year. Of this, aquaculture production reached 134,669 tons, a 11.27% increase, mainly attributed to pangasius.
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