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 We are also engaging in a special education campaign aimed at 

 advising high-risk populations about the risk to them from 

 consuming molluscan shellfish raw or partially cooked. 

 Molluscan shellfish can carry within them certain naturally 

 occurring marine bacteria of the genus Vibrio that can cause 

 severe illness and even death if they enter the blood stream. 

 In healthy individuals, vibrio bacteria generally either cause 

 no illness or cause gastroenteritis, which is rarely serious. 

 Immuno-compromised individuals, on the other hand, can contract 

 septicemia, or blood poisoning, from Vibrio bacteria. 

 Approximately half of the immuno-compromised individuals who 

 become septicemic from the most virulent of these bacteria, 

 vibrio vulnificus , do not survive. There have been about 12 to 

 26 reported cases of septicemia from Vibrio vulnificus 

 annually, although the number will probably be slightly higher 

 over the past year. One-third of these illnesses are usually 

 from bacterial entry into the body from wounds. The reported 

 fatalities have averaged between 5 and 12 annually although, 

 again, the number for the past 12 months may be slightly 

 higher. We estimate that there are about 9 million at-risk 

 individuals who should not eat raw or undercooked molluscan 

 shellfish. 



FDA has published four brochures aimed at specific at-risk 

 populations and has other ongoing educational efforts including 

 distribution of information kits to so-called multiplier 



