Accumulation and Fate of Microorganisms in Oysters

摘要

Salmonellae are the bacterial pathogens which are most frequently associated with oysters from polluted waters. However, there is little information on the concentration of salmonellae in oysters from polluted waters because most tests for salmonellae are qualitative rather than quantitative. The report includes data from studies in which oysters were harvested from areas classified as polluted or not meeting the fecal coliform standard. The incidence of salmonellae positive oyster samples from polluted waters was less than 20%. Researchers who have looked for salmonellae and viruses in the same oyster samples have failed to recover salmonellae even when viruses were present. These data suggest that oysters from restricted waters would not be expected to contain large numbers of salmonellae.