Reanm8er
Bronze Member
- Aug 17, 2018
- 2,283
- 3,556
- Detector(s) used
- WW2 Mine Detector, 2 Garrets and an Underwater Fisher (Older Machines)
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I know I love oysters especially raw. I'm sure many of you do as well.
Just a word of caution. Oyster harvest season is already begun. In the areas where inland flooding has occurred due to hurricane Florence. Lots of the runoff that will eventually flow back into the bays and estuaries where the oysters live is contaminated. It may contain sewerage chemicals or other toxins extremely harmful to humans. Oysters are bottom feeders that naturally clean up bacterial contaminants on the seafloor. Given time their bodies render the bacterial toxins inert and the oysters are safe to eat. When the beds get flooded in the fall the oysters, clams, mussels and other similar shellfish are inundated with contaminants from the wash off and will for some time become too toxic to eat raw.
We've all heard of the Nora virus that regularly plagues passengers on cruise ships. That was originally discovered in Norwalk, Connecticut, after hurricane driven flooding along the east coast. I believe it was the fall of 1985. Because the bacterium was previously unknown physicians were reluctant to prescribe medications without knowing what the outcome might be. People had severe gastro intestinal problems and suffered extreme dehydration, high fevers, delirium and blood poisoning. Some folks got better on their own, others lost limbs and some died outright.
I got sick from eating raw oysters from the Chesapeake bay but I was lucky enough to have a Dr that had previously served in the Peace Corps overseas. He put me through a battery of tests for my blood and stools etc. but they were inconclusive for the known types of bacterial toxins of the time. The lab did find an unknown bacteria but couldn't identify it or define it's toxicity. Although he couldn't figure how I got it, he concluded that I was likely suffering the effects of dysentery.
The meds for dysentery are so strong that you can't ingest them orally so they come in suppository form. No joke! They also kill all the good bacteria in your system so you wind up suffering for about a month till things settle out in your system.
Even if you live in an area not affected by flooding you might still get contaminated seafood shipped in from somewhere else.
Have a safe Holliday season, and skip the raw oysters!
Just a word of caution. Oyster harvest season is already begun. In the areas where inland flooding has occurred due to hurricane Florence. Lots of the runoff that will eventually flow back into the bays and estuaries where the oysters live is contaminated. It may contain sewerage chemicals or other toxins extremely harmful to humans. Oysters are bottom feeders that naturally clean up bacterial contaminants on the seafloor. Given time their bodies render the bacterial toxins inert and the oysters are safe to eat. When the beds get flooded in the fall the oysters, clams, mussels and other similar shellfish are inundated with contaminants from the wash off and will for some time become too toxic to eat raw.
We've all heard of the Nora virus that regularly plagues passengers on cruise ships. That was originally discovered in Norwalk, Connecticut, after hurricane driven flooding along the east coast. I believe it was the fall of 1985. Because the bacterium was previously unknown physicians were reluctant to prescribe medications without knowing what the outcome might be. People had severe gastro intestinal problems and suffered extreme dehydration, high fevers, delirium and blood poisoning. Some folks got better on their own, others lost limbs and some died outright.
I got sick from eating raw oysters from the Chesapeake bay but I was lucky enough to have a Dr that had previously served in the Peace Corps overseas. He put me through a battery of tests for my blood and stools etc. but they were inconclusive for the known types of bacterial toxins of the time. The lab did find an unknown bacteria but couldn't identify it or define it's toxicity. Although he couldn't figure how I got it, he concluded that I was likely suffering the effects of dysentery.
The meds for dysentery are so strong that you can't ingest them orally so they come in suppository form. No joke! They also kill all the good bacteria in your system so you wind up suffering for about a month till things settle out in your system.
Even if you live in an area not affected by flooding you might still get contaminated seafood shipped in from somewhere else.
Have a safe Holliday season, and skip the raw oysters!
