September 19, 2013 — The recent state-ordered closures of oyster beds in Duxbury, Marshfield, Kingston, and Plymouth, Massachusetts have left local aquaculturists reeling from lost revenues and wondering when they’ll get back to business.
Officials banned oyster harvesting in Plymouth Harbor, Kingston Bay, Duxbury Bay, Bluefish River, and Back River on Aug. 30 following an outbreak of vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring organism that can cause gastrointestinal illness. On Sept. 9, the state announced another closure of oyster beds, this time in Katama Bay on the western end of Martha’s Vineyard. The ban now affects more than three dozen oyster farmers south of Boston.
“The oyster beds could reopen by the end of the month or early October if certain conditions are met under federal guidelines, including no new cases of vibrio from the closed beds in the two weeks after the closure, and lower water temperatures and lower vibrio levels in the closure areas,” David Kibbe, spokesman for the state Department of Public Health, said in an e-mail.
Vibrio is “relatively new for Massachusetts,” said Kibbe. This marks the first time the state has closed down specific oyster beds because of the organism.
The bacterium, when ingested, can cause diarrhea, as well as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms typically occur within hours and last for about three days; but people with weakened immune systems may experience more severe problems. The CDC estimates that4,500 cases occur each year in the United States.
Read the full story at The Boston Globe