The Cape Cod Times is reporting that eight cases of Vibrio food poisoning were reported in Massachusetts this year from oysters. Last summer the state designed new regulations to keep consumers safe from this bacteria, but they failed. The eight cases were linked to oysters harvested from Wellfleet, Orleans, Edgartown, Duxbury, Kingston, Barnstable, and Dennis.
Vibrio populations double every 15 minutes, so keeping shellfish cool is critical to controlling bacterial growth.
Vibrio was not seen in Massachusetts oysters until 2011 because the state’s colder water temperatures discouraged the growth of the bacteria. In every month in 2012, the mean air temperatures were higher than average, including the third-warmest April and the warmest August on record. Sea surface temperatures this year were the highest ever in the Northest.
FoodWorld 
