Here in the USA we are not so insulated as you might think. Perhaps the
"insulation" is more cultural than physical.
Many sewage treatment plants provide only primary treatment where the heavy
chunks are allowed to settle out and, depending on the time of year, the
sewage may or may not be chlorinated or treated with uv light to kill the
bugs that might make you sick and then dumped into our rivers or oceans. EPA
requires UV or chloriniation treatment only during those times of year when
the public is likely to come in contact with the water. Here in Maine that
is usually from May through Sept.  In some place warmer like Florida it is
probably year round. That said, any sewage treatment plant may have problems
with it's treatment systems at any time of year so whether the water you
swim in has been properly treated is more a toss of the dice.
Whether people get sick from eating raw shellfish depends more on how well
sewage treatment plants are operating and whether the state regulators who
check shell fish harvesting areas have the resources to do their job.
in countries without the resources to build treatment plants and pay
shellfish wardens, it is much more likely you will get sick from the
shellfish you eat. The number of contaminated shellfish may be the same. It
is just varies how likely they are to end up on your plate.

Beth DeHaas
Whitefield, ME

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harry G. Lee" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Scapharca made 300000 people sick and be sent to
hospital


> Dear He Jing,
>
> The Shanghai hepatitis A outbreak is certainly the largest and most
> shocking of its kind.
>
> The problems of raw bivalve mollusk consumption and biological
> pollution are discussed at <http://www.jaxshells.org/mollusks.htm>.
> We Americans are very fortunate to be relatively insulated from
> epidemics like the one you witnessed.
>
> Harry
>
>
> At 08:43 AM 11/28/2006, you wrote [slightly edited]:
> >Which species is poisonous? In fact, it doesn't matter which species is
> >poisonous, almost all of the mollusks can be poisonous, what we should
ask
> >is : where and when they are poisonous ?
> >
> >In the winter of 1987, I was a university student in Shanghai. it is near
> >the chinese biggest festival, spring festival, an infectious disease
broke
> >out. Not enough doctors, not enough beds in hospital, not enough
medicines. I
> >rembered until today; the stadium of our school was used to set many beds
> >for sick people.
> >
> >Three months later, the infectious disease was controlled. The government
> >said there were 300000 people infected.
> >
> >The reason was discovered. People in Shanghai like to eat raw Scapharcas.
> >Scientists said the Scapharcas from polluted area are all with hepatitis
> >virus in the flesh.
> >
> > From 1988 spring, selling Scapharcas is illegal, any one sell these
> >species will be penalized. But before 1988, the Scapharcas had been on
the
> >table of Shanghai people for hundreds of years
> >
> >A new story comes these days. About 150 people was sent to hospital in
> >Beijing becase they ate some freshwater mollusks. They ate raw mollusks.
>
> Harry G. Lee, M. D.
> 4132 Ortega Forest Dr.
> Jacksonville, FL 32210 USA
> voice (904) 389 4049
> email: [log in to unmask]
> look at www.jaxshells.org
>
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