Massachusetts further tightening its shellfish handling rules to avoid Vibrio parahaemolyticus
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Vineyard Gazette] By Alex Elvin - December 2, 2014 -
For the second year in a row, Massachusetts will revise guidelines for handling and transporting oysters in an effort to reduce the incidence of illness from Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp).
The state Vibrio control plan, begun in 2011, was expanded in 2012 in response to Vp cases outside of eastern Cape Cod. In response to increased cases in 2013, it was revised for this year’s harvest, which ended in October.
The state hopes to submit a final plan for 2015 to the Food and Drug Administration this winter. Vp had not been a problem in the northeast until three or four years ago. The main challenge is keeping the oysters cool, since Vp, which occurs naturally, is more abundant in warmer temperatures.
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