HYANNIS, Mass. — February 14, 2014 — Mike Hickey, the state's chief shellfish biologist, could only shake his head in bewilderment and frustration. The plan the state put into place last summer to safeguard diners from oysters contaminated by a virulent bacteria, known as Vibrio p., did not do its job.
The result was an outbreak last summer that closed two major oyster farming areas, in Duxbury and on Martha's Vineyard, and sickened at least 58 people.
At a public hearing Thursday, state fisheries and health officials unveiled a more stringent plan for this summer that requires oysters to be cooled quickly after harvest to inhibit bacterial growth; lays out rules for closing and reopening areas; and tightens regulations governing handling of oysters for cleaning, sorting and transport.
The plan, if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, would be in effect from May 24 to Oct. 20.
"It's a real challenge for our industry and for our agencies," Julian Cyr, the state Department of Public Health director of policy and regulatory affairs, told 80 shellfishermen gathered at the public hearing on the new measures. "Vibrio is here to stay, and it is one of myriad effects of climate change."
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a bacteria that exists naturally in the wild but can multiply rapidly under the right environmental conditions, particularly in warm water or in an oyster heated by the sun.
People who consume raw oysters contaminated with a high level of Vibrio can experience severe gastrointestinal illness, including fever, chills and diarrhea that might require hospitalization.