Vignette #1 The Waltons have dinner at their favorite local restaurant. Marty has a hamburger, Jill has grilled chicken, and Lori has clams on spaghetti. They have wine with dinner, order dessert, and thoroughly enjoy the evening. Late the next day, Marty starts having stomach pains. Soon, he also has diarrhea and begins vomiting. Jill decides he should go to the emergency room at the hospital. The medical intern at the ER sees Marty in extreme pain and immediately begins asking him questions. If you were the intern, how would you answer the following questions?
If the clams had been the cause of illness with symptoms first appearing 2 days after the meal, what microorganism would have most likely been the cause?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Clams are usually contaminated by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is known to cause gastrointestinal illness with symptoms including diarrhea, pain, vomiting, and fever. The onset of symptoms is usually within 24 hours after exposure, but can sometimes take up to 3 days. In this case, the symptoms appeared 2 days after the meal, and Marty had consumed clams on spaghetti, so likelihood of Vibrio infection is high.

Vignette #1 the Waltons Have Dinner at Their Favorite Local