Norovirus outbreaks: Winter 2017
Presentation Abstract
Between January and April 2017, the Washington State Department of Health received reports of over 150 norovirus illnesses potentially due to the consumption of Washington oysters. Six of the individuals were lab-confirmed cases while the rest of the cases were epidemiologically-linked. A total of 124 of those illnesses, among fifteen illness clusters, led to six growing area closures and recalls. Norovirus is a highly contagious respiratory infection that primarily causes diarrhea and vomiting. While the majority of illnesses were traced back to oysters harvested from Hammersley Inlet growing area, both Samish Bay and Bay Center growing areas were also implicated in outbreaks. More than 24,000 dozen oysters and 43,000 pounds of clams were recalled in March and April due to these outbreaks. Reflecting on this past year and thinking towards the future: What do we know about the source of norovirus in oysters? What are we doing to find out more? What lessons learned can be applied to prevent future illnesses? This investigation follows the steps taken to evaluate the many possible pollution sources that may impact harvest sites in commercial shellfish harvest areas during a Norovirus illness outbreak.
Session Title
Posters: Habitat Restoration & Protection
Conference Track
SSE18: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE18-73
Start Date
5-4-2018 11:30 AM
End Date
5-4-2018 1:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events); posters
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Food borne diseases--Washington (State)--Prevention; Viral gastroenteritis--Washington (State)--Prevention; Food handling-Washington (State); Oysters--Contamination--Washington (State); Food--Safety measures
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Washington (State)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Norovirus outbreaks: Winter 2017
Between January and April 2017, the Washington State Department of Health received reports of over 150 norovirus illnesses potentially due to the consumption of Washington oysters. Six of the individuals were lab-confirmed cases while the rest of the cases were epidemiologically-linked. A total of 124 of those illnesses, among fifteen illness clusters, led to six growing area closures and recalls. Norovirus is a highly contagious respiratory infection that primarily causes diarrhea and vomiting. While the majority of illnesses were traced back to oysters harvested from Hammersley Inlet growing area, both Samish Bay and Bay Center growing areas were also implicated in outbreaks. More than 24,000 dozen oysters and 43,000 pounds of clams were recalled in March and April due to these outbreaks. Reflecting on this past year and thinking towards the future: What do we know about the source of norovirus in oysters? What are we doing to find out more? What lessons learned can be applied to prevent future illnesses? This investigation follows the steps taken to evaluate the many possible pollution sources that may impact harvest sites in commercial shellfish harvest areas during a Norovirus illness outbreak.
