Outbreak closes oyster beds

OLYMPIA – The state has closed a second oyster-growing area on Hood Canal because of a bacterial outbreak that can make people sick.

The new closure announced Wednesday by the Department of Health affects commercial harvesting on Hood Canal beaches stretching south from the Hamma Hamma River to Sisters Point near Tahuya.

Oysters in the area have been found to contain a natural bacterium that can cause an illness known as vibriosis. Several new cases have been reported.

Earlier this month, the state closed an area at the south end of Hood Canal to oyster harvesting because of a number of cases of illness in people who ate raw oysters from the area.

The department said it is working with shellfish growers to recall oysters from the affected areas.

Symptoms of vibriosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. Severe disease is rare and occurs mostly in people with compromised immune systems.

To avoid the illness, consumers should make sure oysters are cooked to 145 degrees to kill the bacteria.

The problem is not associated with pollution, but is caused by the specific bacteria, typically found in saltwater, which proliferate in hot weather. The summertime combination of warm weather and low tides during warm parts of the day contributes to the growth of the bacteria, Health Department spokesman Jeff Smith said earlier.

Recreational shellfish harvesters are advised to check the department’s shellfish safety Web site at www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm.