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Failure of Shellfish Certification Programs To Prevent Outbreaks

Benjamin L. Portnoy, MD; Philip A. Mackowiak, MD; Charles T. Caraway, DVM; John A. Walker, MD; Thomas W. McKinley, MPH; Calvin A. Klein, Jr, MD

JAMA. 1975;233(10):1065-1068.

Abstract
During October and November 1973, outbreaks of hepatitis A associated with consumption of raw oysters occurred in Houston and in Calhoun, Ga. The oysters implicated in both outbreaks had been harvested in two Louisiana bays. Although the bays had been contaminated with polluted Mississippi River water two months before the oysters were harvested, at the time of harvesting the bays met national sanitation standards for shellfish growing and were certified for oyster fishing. These epidemics raise serious questions about the adequacy of shellfish sanitation monitoring systems currently in use.

(JAMA 233:1065-1068, 1975)

Author Affiliations
From the Bureau of Epidemiology, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta (Drs Portnoy, Mackowiak, Walker, and Klein); the Louisiana Health and Human Resources Administration, Division of Health, New Orleans (Dr Caraway); and Division of Physical Health, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Atlanta (Mr McKinley). Dr Klein is now a Fellow, Hematology Division, University of California Center for Health Sciences, Los Angeles. Dr Mackowiak is a Fellow, Infectious Disease Division, Veterans Administration Hospital, Callas. Dr Portnoy is now a Fellow, Program in Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical School, Houston. Dr Walker is a Resident, Department of Medicine, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta.

Footnotes
This communication was awarded the 1974 Alexander D. Langmuir Prize by the Epidemic Intelligence Service Alumni Association, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, April 17, 1974.

Reprint requests to the University of Texas Health Science Center-Medical School, PO Box 20708, Houston, TX 77025 (Dr Portnoy).

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