Do you know where you got your crabs? (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Do you have crabs? If you do, make sure you know from where they came.
That's because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about crabs, the kind served at restaurants and sold at markets that is. They are recommending that “consumers not eat, restaurants not serve, and retailers not sell fresh crab meat imported from Venezuela at this time.” The reason? So far, 12 people from Maryland, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, have become sick from a bacteria called Vibrio parahaemolyticus, with 4 (33%) being hospitalized but no deaths. All apparently ate fresh crab meat from Venezuela with illnesses starting between April 1, 2018 and July 3, 2018.
Vibrioisis may sound like the word “vibrant” but if you get infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus the only things pulsating or quivering will be your intestines and your body. Common symptoms are several days (usually 3) of rather watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, fever, and chills. Basically, you will feel like poop and produce lots of it. The symptoms tend to start within 24 hours of getting exposed. Fortunately, if you are an otherwise healthy person over 5 years of age, your immune system typically is strong enough to help you recover without long -term consequences. However, if something is suppressing your immune system (e.g., a medication or a chronic disease such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, or HIV) or your stomach isn't producing enough acid (e.g., acid decreasing medications or recent stomach), you may be at risk for complications and even death. If you are less than 5 years of age and going to crab fests by yourself, don't.
Any time you have diarrhea and abdominal cramping for more than 48 hours, call your doctor. That's beyond the window for many standard less severe bouts of foodbourne illnesses so your doctor may want to rule out other more serious conditions. Your doctors can check your stool for Vibrio or other pathogens. If it turns out to be Vibrio parahaemolyticus, time, plenty of fluids, and a toilet close by are the typical treatments. Antibiotics usually won't help.
This Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) depicts a Vibrio par
