Resolution Year 2001
Resolution Number 5:
Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) and FDA actions to address Vibrio vulnificus foodborne illnesses.

Whereas, virtually all foodborne Vibrio vulnificus infections where the food has been traced to its source have been associated with the consumption of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico during the months of May through September, and

Whereas, Vibrio vulnificus is a significant public health problem that has caused life-threatening infections in at-risk individuals (e.g., those with liver disease, chronic alcohol abuse, cancer and diabetes), and

Whereas, Vibrio vulnificus infections in at-risk individuals result in a greater than 50 percent mortality rate, even with treatment, and survivors are often left permanently disabled with amputations frequently necessary, and

Whereas, as many as 30 million people in the United States population may be at-risk for Vibrio vulnificus infections if they consume contaminated raw oysters, and

Whereas, there is no practical way for at-risk individuals to know whether an oyster about to be consumed is contaminated, and

Whereas, educational measures, including consumer education programs, oyster container advisories and point-of-sale warnings, have been employed by the shellfish industry, FDA, the states and others to reduce the consumption by at-risk individuals of contaminated raw oysters, and

Whereas, time-temperature control measures have been employed by the shellfish industry to prevent further growth of Vibrio vulnificus in oysters after harvest, and

Whereas, despite these measures, at-risk individuals continue to consume contaminated oysters and become ill and die as a result, and

Whereas, failure to prevent these continuing illnesses and deaths is of increasing concern to the shellfish industry, public, consumer groups and public health agencies, and

Whereas, there are effective public health control measures available to significantly reduce Vibrio vulnificus levels in contaminated raw oysters, therefore be it

Resolved, that the AFDO President communicate AFDO’s support of the following to ISSC and FDA:

*the institution of appropriate harvest restrictions, post-harvest treatments or other effective public health control measures as soon as possible to protect at-risk individuals from further consumption of Vibrio vulnificus contaminated raw oysters; and

*the use in all states of current and future Vibrio vulnificus educational measures as beneficial adjuncts to the public health control measures; and that

*ISSC and FDA support the implementation of these public health control and educational measures as soon as possible.