Norwalk virus gastroenteritis following raw oyster consumption.
In January, 1980, six out of 13 persons (46%) attending a party in a small northwest Florida town near the Gulf of Mexico became ill with Norwalk virus gastroenteritis after eating raw oysters. Symptoms experienced by the ill persons were principally nausea (100%), vomiting (83%) and diarrhea (50%) and were of brief duration. The symptom complex and epidemiology of Norwalk virus infection closely resemble the gastrointestinal illness commonly referred to as the 24-hour intestinal flu or "stomach flu." Norwalk virus infection was identified in this outbreak by application of a recently developed sensitive and specific serologic radioimmunoassay. Oysters from the incriminated batch had fecal coliform levels above recommended standards; however, recent studies of oyster-harvesting waters have shown only a weak correlation between fecal coliforms and the presence of enteric viruses. Further studies are needed to determine whether modifications of monitoring modalities for oyster-harvesting waters are needed.
D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005431:Florida; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009663:Norwalk virus; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*