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.
Selected Outbreak Investigations
Multistate Outbreak of Gastrointestinal Illnesses Linked to Oysters Imported from Mexico
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).
Learn More
- Find out about the danger of eating raw oysters
- Get tips for cooking shellfish
- See Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference for current notice of illness outbreaks and shellfish closures, openings, and recalls.