The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Thursday, Sept. 10, that effective at sunset, they were closing local waters to shellfish harvesting due to an outbreak of a natural bacteria. Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, and the Sand Hole on Lloyd Point will remain closed until samples collected and examined by the DEC indicate that shellfish from the involved areas are no longer infectious. The announcement was made by NYS DEC Commissioner John P. Cahill and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Barbara A. DeBuono, M.D.

Dave Relyea of Frank M. Flower & Sons, Inc. said this is the first time the bacteria, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, caused a problem in the northeast. "It may have been here a long time. It could be here in low numbers and no one noticed it." He said tests are being done to see if it is present, but it hasn't been identified as yet, as being in Oyster Bay shellfish. The bacteria is carried by other products, including shrimp, crabs and raw fish.

He said the length of closure has not been determined at this point. A drop in temperature of the water can eliminate the bacteria. "It may be gone now," he said. "We'll know more when the study is done."

When asked if this would affect the Oyster Festival, he said, "It will be all over by then." Dave Relyea is one of three owners of Frank M. Flower's. He and Joe Zahtila run the hatchery in Bayville and Dwight Relyea runs the harvesting and marketing in Oyster Bay.

Mike Deering, executive director of Friends of the Bay said, 'The important thing for the public to understand is that this is a natural occurring bacteria. It is not caused by pollution or sewage discharge. It seems to be attributed to unusually high water temperatures this year. This bay remains one of the cleanest and healthiest in New York State."

Cooked Shellfish Are Safe

The bacteria causes illness to people who consume uncooked shellfish contaminated by it. Bacteria are readily destroyed by cooking shellfish thoroughly by boiling or baking. Steaming shellfish lightly may not completely kill the organisms.

DEC and DOH have documented illnesses in at least eight individuals who ate raw oysters; in one case a victim consumed clams. These people ate shellfish at several different restaurants in Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York City and New Jersey between Aug. 10 and Aug. 29.

Laboratory tests on patient samples have determined that the illnesses were caused by the naturally occurring marine bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The bacteria is naturally occurring and is not associated with sewage discharges or stormwater contamination of shellfish harvesting areas.

The bacteria is generally associated with warm water conditions and its appearance in New York may be associated with this summer's high water temperatures. Experience in the state of Washington indicates that Vibrio parahaemolyticus abundance diminishes rapidly as summer high temperatures end.

There is no explanation for the occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfish from these waters at concentrations sufficient to cause illness in consumers. The individuals and companies that harvest and market shellfish from the involved areas are not responsible for the problem.

"The symptoms of a food-borne illness caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some individuals, fever and abdominal cramps," Commissioner DeBuono said. "The incubation period is usually 12 to 24 hours and full recovery may take up to a week. Anyone who experiences severe symptoms after consuming raw shellfish should seek medical attention."

This is the first time Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfish harvested in the northeast has been known to cause illness in shellfish consumers. Shellfish from other harvest areas in New York have not been implicated in Vibrio parahaemolyticus illnesses.

"New York's shellfish sanitation program follows the guidelines of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, which requires that a shellfish harvest area be closed if a confirmed outbreak of food-borne illness implicates a specific harvest area," Commissioner Cahill said. "This action should help to prevent further illnesses from this naturally occurring bacteria. In addition, the DEC is working closely with the shellfish industry to recall all shellfish harvested from the affected areas."

All shellfish harvesters, shippers, reshippers, processors, restaurants and retail food establishments were advised to check the identity tags on all containers of shellstock in their inventories. If the tag indicates that the harvest area is NS-2, Oyster Bay Harbor or Cold Spring Harbor, the product must not be sold.

Wholesale shellfish dealers should also check their sales records to determine whether they have handled and sold any shellfish from those harvest areas since Aug. 10. If so, they should immediately contact any customers that may have received shellfish from those areas and advise them not to sell or serve those shellfish.

Any business or other establishment that has shellfish from those areas is advised to call the DEC shellfisheries program at 444-0475.

The DEC also will be sampling and examining shellfish from other harvest areas around Long Island for the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Several samples of oysters and clams from the affected areas have been submitted to the DOH laboratory in Albany for bacteriological analysis. The results of those analyses will be available late next week.

More than 350 illnesses associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus occurred in Texas earlier this year and more than 200 illnesses were reported in Washington last year. About 20 cases have occurred in Washington this year. Both states closed the affected shellfish harvest areas.