VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS GASTROENTERITIS OUTBREAK IN COVINGTON, LOUISIANA, IN AUGUST 1972

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Barker, W. H., Jr. (Epidemiology Program, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta. Ga. 30333), P. A. Mackowiak. M. Fishbein, G. K. Morris, J. A. D'Alfonso, G. H. Hauser and O. Felsenfeld. Vibrio parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis outbreak in Covington, Louisiana, in August 1972. Am J Epidemiol 100:316–323, 1974.—In late August 1972, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis involving an estimated 600 persons occurred in Covington, La., following a “shrimp boil.” Investigation of a representative group of attendees revealed a crude attack rate of 51%. Major symptoms included diarrhea and abdominal pain; median incubation period was 23 hours, and median duration 24 hours. Shrimp was incriminated as the vehicle of infection. Multiple serotypes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were cultured from stools of sick individuals and from leftover shrimp. The outbreak was attributed to failure of the shrimp boiling process to destroy V. parahaemolyticus with which the fresh shrimp were naturally colonized at time of delivery to the processing plant.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: