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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, June 16, 2005

Cholera cases linked to seafood

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i shellfish eaters are being warned to choose their food carefully after two cases of cholera were reported here in April and May.

Both of the victims suffered abdominal problems believed to be related to contaminated seafood but recovered after seeing a doctor, said Dr. Sara Park, deputy chief of the state Health Department's Disease Control and Outbreak Division.

The victims, an elderly woman and a young man, had eaten seafood at different restaurants. Health inspectors were unable to pinpoint a source of the disease, Park said.

The two cases prompted the Health Department to issue a May 10 physicians' advisory to be on alert for cholera, but no new cases have been reported since then, Park said.

Typically, Hawai'i sees one or two cases of cholera per year.

Usually, cholera is characterized by severe diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. It can be serious in advanced cases or in patients with a weakened immune system.

Park said Hawai'i residents who eat shellfish at home or in a restaurant should make sure it is prepared fresh and not left out for several hours.

"If you want to eat it raw, make sure you see it getting prepared after you order it," she said.

Those who develop symptoms should be sure to tell their doctor they have recently eaten shellfish, she said.

Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com