BANGOR, Maine — September 10, 2012 — Maine health officials are recording a rising number of illnesses caused by bacteria linked to raw seafood.
Since July 1, four Maine residents and six visitors to the state have been infected with Vibrio, a bug found in raw oysters, clams and other seafood.
While 10 cases of the illness isn’t high, this year’s count is more than double the four cases Maine recorded in each of the last two summers, according to Dr. Stephen Sears, state epidemiologist. Health officials also are investigating a potential 11th case, he said.
The bacteria, which belongs to the same family of germs that causes cholera, occurs naturally in coastal ocean waters. Vibrio thrives in warmer temperatures, and can cause infection when an open wound is exposed to mild seawater.
That’s how most of those sickened in previous years were infected with the bacteria in Maine, Sears said. But this summer, raw or undercooked seafood appears to be the culprit.
Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News.