Management of health risks associated with oysters harvested from a norovirus contaminated area, Ireland, February-March 2010.
Oysters from a harvesting area responsible for outbreaks of gastroenteritis were relaid at a clean seawater site and subsequently depurated in tanks of purified seawater at elevated temperatures. This combined treatment reduced norovirus levels to those detected prior to the outbreak. On the basis of norovirus monitoring the sale of treated oysters was permitted although the harvest area remained closed for direct sale of oysters. No reports of illness have been associated with the consumption of treated oysters.
Doré
B
B
Marine Institute, Galway, Ireland. bill.dore@marine.ie
Keaveney
S
S
Flannery
J
J
Rajko-Nenow
P
P
D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D029322:Norovirus; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors