Outbreaks of Vibrio Infections

Overview

A multistate foodborne outbreak happens when two or more people from more than one state get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink.

Although most cases of Vibrio infection (vibriosis) reported to CDC are not part of an outbreak, outbreaks do happen. Most of these are small or local outbreaks. But some are large and involve multiple states.

Read about a few multistate outbreaks of Vibrio infections that CDC helped investigate.

Additional information

Causes

Raw oysters, other seafood, juices from shellfish, and seawater have been the most commonly identified sources of Vibrio outbreaks.

Detection

Outbreaks are identified when reported cases increase in a specific location or timeframe. State, local, and territorial public health departments are mainly responsible for identifying and investigating Vibrio outbreaks.

Reporting

Outbreaks are reported to CDC by state health departments through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS).

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