title: Vibrio mimicus infection associated with crayfish consumption, Spokane, Washington, 2010.
abstract: We report a cluster of severe diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio mimicus infection among four persons who had consumed leftover crayfish the day after a private crayfish boil. Gastrointestinal illness caused by Vibrio mimicus has not been reported previously in Washington  State. Three cases were laboratory confirmed by stool culture; using PCR, isolates were found to have ctx genes that encode cholera toxin (CT). Two of the cases were hospitalized under intensive care with a cholera-like illness. The illnesses were most likely caused by cross-contamination  of cooked crayfish with uncooked crayfish; however, V. mimicus was not isolated nor were CT genes detected by PCR in leftover samples of frozen crayfish. Clinicians should be aware that V. mimicus can produce CT and that V. mimicus infection can cause severe illness.
authors.affiliation: Epidemic Intelligence Service Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. meagan.kay@kingcounty.gov
authors.forename: Meagan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maceachern
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barzilay
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Duchin
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Maryann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turnsek
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tarr
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Talkington
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Marfin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology*; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D044164:Vibrio mimicus; D014861:Washington