By Jory Lange

The CDC has announced a multistate Vibrio outbreak linked to raw oysters harvested from Estero El Cardon Estuary in Baja California Sur, Mexico.  Unusually, this outbreak involves multiple different bacteria pathogens. Here is the CDC’s case count broken down by pathogen:

  • 3 cases of Shigella flexneri infection
  • 3 cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection
  • 1 case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) non-O157 coinfection
  • 1 case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Shigella flexneri coinfection
  • 1 case of Shigella flexneri and Campylobacter lari coinfection
  • 1 case of Vibrio albensis infection
  • 1 case of norovirus genogroup 1 infection
  • 1 case of infection with Vibrio of unknown species
  • 4 cases of illness without a pathogen identified

So far, 16 people from 5 states have been linked to this raw oyster outbreak.  Reported illnesses began on dates ranging from December 16, 2018 to April 4, 2018.  Due to reporting delays, any illnesses that began after April 8, 2018 may not yet have been reported to the CDC or included in the CDC’s case counts.  

12 people from California have been linked to the raw oyster outbreak.  1 person each from Alaska, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Nevada have been linked to this raw oyster outbreak.  According to the CDC, “Ill people reported eating raw oysters sold by restaurants in California and Nevada.”

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