Biomaterial Database

Steaming oysters does not prevent Norwalk-like gastroenteritis. 1996

K B Kirkland, and R A Meriwether, and J K Leiss, and W R Mac Kenzie

Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether steaming oysters prevents gastroenteritis caused by small round structured (Norwalk-like) viruses and to identify risk factors for illness. METHODS The authors interviewed all 48 people who ate oysters at two church suppers that were followed by outbreaks of gastroenteritis from a Norwalk-like virus. Data were collected on demographics, clinical illness, number of oysters eaten, and the extent to which they were cooked. RESULTS Among the 48 persons, the attack rate was 56%. The risk of illness increased with the number of oysters eaten (chi-square for trend = 5.7, P = 0.02). There was no decrease in attack rates among persons who ate oysters that were better done (chi-square for trend = 1.1, P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS In these outbreaks, the risk of illness increased with the number of oysters eaten. Steaming oysters did not appear to prevent illness, suggesting that steaming may not be adequate to inactivate small round structured viruses. Public health messages that have emphasized the role of raw shellfish in the transmission of enteric viruses should be altered to increase the public's awareness that eating steamed oysters may also pose health risks.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009657	North Carolina	State bounded on the north by Virginia, on the east and Southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Georgia and South Carolina, and on the west by Tennessee.
D009663	Norwalk virus	The type species in the genus NOROVIRUS, first isolated in 1968 from the stools of school children in Norwalk, Ohio, who were suffering from GASTROENTERITIS. The virions are non-enveloped spherical particles containing a single protein. Multiple strains are named after the places where outbreaks have occurred.	Norwalk Agent
D010125	Ostreidae	A family of marine mollusks in the class BIVALVIA, commonly known as oysters. They have a rough irregular shell closed by a single adductor muscle.	Oysters,Oyster
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003296	Cooking	The art or practice of preparing food. It includes the preparation of special foods for diets in various diseases.	Cookery
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D005759	Gastroenteritis	INFLAMMATION of any segment of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT from ESOPHAGUS to RECTUM. Causes of gastroenteritis are many including genetic, infection, HYPERSENSITIVITY, drug effects, and CANCER.	Gastroenteritides
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia