Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 May;142(5):1083-8.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268813001830. Epub 2013 Aug 7.

Clam-associated vibriosis, USA, 1988-2010

R B Slayton  1 , A E Newton  2 , A Depaola  3 , J L Jones  3 , B E Mahon  2
Affiliations

Clam-associated vibriosis, USA, 1988-2010

R B Slayton et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2014 May.

Abstract

Infections with Vibrio spp. have frequently been associated with consumption of bivalve molluscs, especially oysters, but illness associated with clams has also been well documented. We describe the 2312 domestically acquired foodborne Vibrio infections reported to the Cholera and Other Vibrio Illness Surveillance system from 1988 to 2010. Clams were associated with at least 4% (93 persons, 'only clams') and possibly as many as 24% (556 persons, 'any clams') of foodborne cases. Of those who consumed 'only clams', 77% of infections were caused by V. parahaemolyticus. Clam-associated illnesses were generally similar to those associated with other seafood consumption. Clams associated with these illnesses were most frequently harvested from the Atlantic coastal states and eaten raw. Our study describes the contribution of clams to the overall burden of foodborne vibriosis and indicates that a comprehensive programme to prevent foodborne vibriosis need to address the risks associated with clams.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Cazorla C, et al. Fatal Vibrio vulnificus infection associated with eating raw oysters, New Caledonia. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2011; 17: 136–137. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen Y, et al. Foodborne pathogens in retail oysters in south China. Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2010; 23: 32–36. - PubMed
    1. Depaola A, et al. Survey of postharvest-processed oysters in the United States for levels of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Journal of Food Protection 2009; 72: 2110–2113. - PubMed
    1. Han F, et al. Characterization of clinical and environmental types of Vibrio vulnificus isolates from Louisiana oysters. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 2009; 6: 1251–1258. - PubMed
    1. Haq SM, Dayal HH. Chronic liver disease and consumption of raw oysters: a potentially lethal combination – a review of Vibrio vulnificus septicemia. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2005; 100: 1195–1199. - PubMed