{"id":16798,"date":"2019-07-24T07:46:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T12:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/?p=16011"},"modified":"2019-07-24T07:46:37","modified_gmt":"2019-07-24T12:46:37","slug":"raw-oysters-on-valentines-dangers-of-food-illness-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/food-safety-news\/raw-oysters-on-valentines-dangers-of-food-illness-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw Shellfish &#8211; Dangers of Food Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) pose the greatest risk to be contaminated because they are filter feeders and become contaminated when their waters are polluted with raw sewage and bacteria.<br \/>\nOysters can be contaminated with a variety of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, norovirus, and Vibrio vulnificus and can put you at risk for infections.<br \/>\nThe FDA urges consumers to eat only fully cooked oysters &#8211; i.e., boiling them for for 3 to 5 minutes or steaming for 4 to 9 minutes.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19708\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness_009_shutterstock_370177511.jpg\" alt=\"shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>What is norovirus?<\/h3>\n<p>Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis, often called \u201cfood poisoning\u201d or the \u201cstomach flu.\u201d Eating raw or partially cooked shellfish can cause norovirus infection.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>How do shellfish become contaminated with norovirus?<\/h3>\n<p>Norovirus makes its way into the marine environment through untreated human sewage (poop) and vomit. This may come from leaky septic systems, faulty waste water treatment plants, boaters, or beach-goers. Shellfish are filter feeders, which means they filter seawater through their bodies\u00a0to get food floating in the water. When norovirus particles are in the water, shellfish\u00a0can accumulate the virus in their bodies.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ey_OV_-pBeo\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>What is Vibrio and Vibriosis?<\/h3>\n<p>One of the infections you might get from eating raw oysters is caused by some types of <em>Vibrio<\/em>, bacteria that occur naturally in coastal waters where oysters live. This bacteria can become concentrated in an oyster\u2019s body because oysters function like a filter: they eat by constantly drawing in water, and materials in the water\u2014including harmful bacteria\u2014are retained within the oyster\u2019s body. When someone eats raw or undercooked oysters that contain bacteria or exposes a wound to seawater that contains <em>Vibrio<\/em>, he or she can get an illness called vibriosis.<br \/>\nVibriosis causes about 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States every year. Most of these illnesses happen from May through October when water temperatures are warmer. However, you can get sick from eating raw or undercooked oysters during any month of the year, and raw oysters from typically colder waters also can cause vibriosis.<br \/>\nSome people can even get infected through an open wound when swimming or wading in brackish or salt water.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ke-N8dPobe8\" width=\"700\" height=\"428\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>What are the symptoms of vibriosis?<\/h3>\n<p>Most <em>Vibrio <\/em>infections from oysters, such as <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus <\/em>infection, result in only diarrhea and vomiting.<br \/>\nHowever, people with a <em>Vibrio vulnificus <\/em>infection can get very sick.\u00a0 This is because the infection can result in bloodstream infections, severe blistering skin lesions, and limb amputations. If you develop symptoms of vibriosis,\u00a0tell your medical provider if you recently ate or handled raw shellfish.<br \/>\ndiv style=&#8221;clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;&#8221;&gt;<br \/>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19711\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/shellfish_oysters_vibrio_food_safety_illness_007_shutterstock_1204499143.jpg\" alt=\"shellfish_oysters_vibrio_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Food Safety Tips for Oysters<\/h3>\n<p>Follow these tips to reduce your chances of getting an infection when eating or handling shellfish and other seafood:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t eat raw or undercooked oysters or other shellfish.<\/strong> Fully cook them before eating, and only order fully cooked oysters at restaurants. Hot sauce and lemon juice don\u2019t kill <em>Vibrio<\/em> bacteria and neither does alcohol.\n<ul>\n<li>Some oysters are treated for safety after they are harvested. This treatment can reduce levels of vibrios in the oyster but it does not remove all harmful germs. People who are more likely to get vibriosis should not eat any raw oysters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Separate cooked seafood from raw seafood<\/strong> and its juices to avoid cross contamination.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wash your hands with soap and water after handing<\/strong> raw seafood.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cover any wounds<\/strong> if they could come into contact with raw seafood or raw seafood juices or with brackish or salt water.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wash open wounds and cuts<\/strong> thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to seawater or raw seafood or its juices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19712\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/oysters_norovirus_food_illness_safety_001_shutterstock_1459393205.jpg\" alt=\"oysters_norovirus_food_illness_safety\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Oyster Storage\/Preparation &amp; Selection Tips:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid and discard cracked or broken shelled oysters.<\/li>\n<li>Live oysters will close up when their shell is tapped \u2014\u00a0if they don\u2019t close, avoid selecting that particular oyster.<\/li>\n<li>Keep them at or below 41\u2109 before cooking or during cold serving \u2014\u00a0place oysters on ice if serving to a large group.<\/li>\n<li>Do not leave oysters out of 41\u2109 for more than 2 hours \u2014\u00a0the chances of food borne pathogens reproducing is increased while out of appropriate holding temperature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19713\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness_001_shutterstock_19132462.jpg\" alt=\"shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Tips for Cooking Oysters &amp; Other Shellfish<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Before cooking, throw out any shellfish with open shells.<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>For oysters in the shell, either:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boil until the shells open and continue boiling 3\u20135 more minutes, or<\/li>\n<li>Steam until the shells open and continue steaming for 4\u20139 more minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Only eat shellfish that open during cooking. Throw out shellfish that do not open fully after cooking.<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>For shucked oysters, either:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boil for at least 3 minutes or until edges curl,<\/li>\n<li>Fry for at least 3 minutes at 375\u00b0F,<\/li>\n<li>Broil 3 inches from heat for 3 minutes, or<\/li>\n<li>Bake at 450\u00b0 F for 10 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19714\" src=\"http:\/\/foodsafetytrainingcertification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness_002_shutterstock_260965391.jpg\" alt=\"shellfish_oysers_norovirus_ecoli_vibrio_food_safety_illness\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"media-credit\">Image Source: Shutterstock<\/span>\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"clear: both; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h3>Other Diseases<\/h3>\n<p>Oysters are subject to other various diseases which can reduce harvests and severely deplete local populations. Disease control focuses on containing infections and breeding resistant strains, and is the subject of much ongoing research.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Dermo&#8221; is caused by a protozoan parasite (<i>Perkinsus marinus<\/i>). It is a prevalent pathogen, causes massive mortality, and poses a significant economic threat to the oyster industry. The disease is not a direct threat to humans consuming infected oysters. Dermo first appeared in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s, and until 1978 was believed to be caused by a fungus. While it is most serious in warmer waters, it has gradually spread up the east coast of the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Multinucleated sphere X (MSX) is caused by the protozoan <i>Haplosporidium nelsoni<\/i>, generally seen as a multinucleated <i>Plasmodium<\/i>. It is infectious and causes heavy mortality in the eastern oyster; survivors, however, develop resistance and can help propagate resistant populations. MSX is associated with high salinity and water temperatures. MSX was first noted in Delaware Bay in 1957, and is now found all up and down the East Coast of the United States. Evidence suggests it was brought to the US when <i>Crassostrea gigas<\/i>, a Japanese oyster variety, was introduced to Delaware Bay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>More information<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tp-link-policy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/listeria\/faq.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Take a look at CDC\u2019s questions and answers about <em>Vibrio<\/em> and vibriosis <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tp-link-policy\" href=\"http:\/\/www2c.cdc.gov\/podcasts\/player.asp?f=8629455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Listen to CDC podcast on the dangers of eating raw oysters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tp-link-policy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/features\/befoodsafe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Be food safe \u2013 learn how you can protect yourself from food poisoning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tp-link-policy tp-external-link-fix\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/poisoning\/causes\/bacteriaviruses\/vibrio_infections\/index.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"nofollow\" >Read more guidance on FoodSafety.gov for preventing <em>Vibrio <\/em>infections<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Learn more about aquaculture: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/aquaculture\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >http:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/aquaculture\/index.htm<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Learn more about Pacific and Eastern oysters from FishWatch: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fishwatch.gov\/profiles\/search\/oyster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" rel=\"nofollow\" >http:\/\/www.fishwatch.gov\/profiles\/search\/oyster<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) pose the greatest risk to be contaminated because they are filter feeders and become contaminated when their waters are polluted with raw sewage and bacteria.<br \/>\nOysters can be contaminated with a variety of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, norovirus, and Vibrio vulnificus and can put you at risk for infections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[23,24,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16798"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16798\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seafoodsafetyhaccptraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}