Uh-oh, the Feds are getting into the act. First it was the state-level Health Dep't telling folks not to eat bivalves because a bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, had infested oyster beds in along Hood Canal. Wrote letter to Seattle Times, I did, pointing out that the vibrio bacterium is effectively neutralized in a solution of 12 percent alcohol: in other words, a glass of white wine. Slurp.
But of course the gummint won't tell folks to imbibe. Instead they closed the beds, recalled the oysters, and opened--we kid you not--a marine biotoxin hotline (800-562-5632) and an online biotoxin bulletin.
Slurp. That was last week. Now the heavy hitters from DC have arrived. Food & Drug Admin cites 70 cases of food poisoning, here and on east coast, blamed on bivalves.
Where's Dr. Yi-Cheng Su when you need him? He's the one doing research, at the OSU's Seafood Lab in Newport, that shows wine neutralizes 99% of the vibrio pathogen in 60 seconds. Reported here.
So play it safe: don't slurp that oyster after all. Chew it well and slurp the wine instead.
Listen to this post (1:41): 
Funny, my friend Bill served a few dozen oysters (procured from the docks at Fihserman's terminal) at a party he held last weekend - a pre-wedding party. Everybody, including the bride an myself, had no problem slurping some down, despite the warnings appearing in the local media that week. The next day - a perfect wedding with no bowel distress or other shellfish-related discomforts for anyone. Still, a winter oyster is less mushy, more crisp and plump and crunchy. Let me know if you want me to stop my inane replies to your blog. I love oysters. -A
Posted by: Alex R. Mayer at July 31, 2006 9:13 PMI really like the idea of the audio component being added to your written
presentation. It makes the whole thing much more personal for those of us
who know you and enjoy hearing your voice once in awhile.
Jerry