These people were typically sick for five days with serious diarrhea, nausea, and cramping. Some suffered fevers. Fourteen were hospitalized. Research by the Department of Health indicates that a person can become ill from eating a single infected oyster. While there is certainly a need for additional research on the conditions that spur the growth of this pathogen, we believe that certain things are reasonably well understood.
Vibrio infections are more common during the summer months when the water is warmer and saltier.
Most people, while they know that the risks from eating raw oysters may be higher in the summer, assume that the oysters served to them in a restaurant, or purchased fresh from their local grocery, are safe. They assume this because we have a reasonably effective public health system designed to respond quickly to an outbreak, and ensure that once oysters are again available, they are again safe. We believe the best way to preserve the integrity of our public health system is to allow the Texas Department of Health to base its determination of bay closures and reopening on a combination of statistically significant sampling and environmental monitoring. If it is cost prohibitive to collect and test a statistically significant sample of oysters that will show with confidence that bay oysters are safe once again, then the Department must be allowed to keep the bay closed until salinity and temperature are less conducive to the spread of the pathogen. Thank you for working with us on this issue, and we hope we can work with you on this again in the future.