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Vibrio Vulnificus

Vibrio Vulnificus is a disease that is caused by a bacteria in the same family as Cholera. The bacteria normally lives in warm salt water. It is transmitted by eating raw seafood or through an open wound that is exposed to saltwater. It is not transmitted from person to person.

Signs & Symptoms: begin 16 hours after exposure

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Pain
• Blood Infection
• Fever
• Chills
• Decreased Blood Pressure
• Blistering Skin Lesions
• Skin Infections and ulcers

People with pre-existing health conditions are 80 times more likely to develop bloodstream infections than healthy people.

Prevention:

• Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
• Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly.
• For shellfish in the shell boil until shells open and continue boiling for 5 more minutes.
• For shellfish in the shell steam until shells open and continue steaming for 9 more minutes.
• Do not eat shellfish that do not open during cooking.
• Boil shucked oysters at least 3 minutes.
• Fry shucked oysters in oil at least 10 minutes at 375°F.
• Avoid cross contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.
• Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
• Do not expose open wounds or broken skin to warm salt water or raw shellfish harvested from warm salt water.
• Wear gloves when handling raw shellfish.