As a general rule, food-borne illness, commonly called “food poisoning,” has remained fairly constant over the years. Indeed, since 1996 only one pathogen has shown considerable increase.

Based on 19,531 cases from Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) the CDC found:

If Vibrio were a stock instead of a pathogen, you would have wanted to buy in around 1996 as it has enjoyed a considerable rise. Perhaps, like me, you wondered what Vibrio was. Most of the others have been in the news media or are simply well-known.

The trend continued in the period 2006 to 2012:

Vibrio is a genus of bacteria–one species causes cholera. This species Vibrio parahaemolyticus, however, likes sea water so much that it hangs out with oysters. If you get this infection, antibiotics do not help, so you drink liquids and wait it out.

By contrast, another species Vibrio Vulnificus can respond to anti-biotics. Among healthy people, the experience is likely to be the same as for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, but for those with compromised immune systems, immediate medical attention is indicated. Fortunately, this seems to be the more rare form of non-cholera Vibrio, and the incidence is much less frequent, generally occurring in the Gulf States.

One mystery in the data: incidence of Vibrio is higher among adults over 65 years old. While it can be contracted by an open wound in the wrong sea water, most Vibrio results from consumption of raw oysters or other uncooked seafood. I have not been aware of any trend to gulping raw oysters among seniors, but as the boomers enter old age, maybe they are going for anything that might keep the Sexy Sixties going. It would be of interest to see the geographic distribution of these cases–are there a lot of them in South Florida, for example?

Be careful out there.