Gastroenteritis outbreak, New South Wales

This article published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 21 Issue, Number 23, contains an outbreak report on eating Pipis shellfish.

Page last updated: 25 December 1997

A print friendly PDF version is available from this Communicable Diseases Intelligence issue's table of contents.

An increase in the number of reports of gastroenteritis cases received by the New South Wales Health Department occurred in mid-December. As of 17 December 45 people, mainly in the Sydney area, had developed gastroenteritis after consuming pipis. Pipis are a type of small shellfish harvested by commercial fishermen from regional beaches of New South Wales. The Department is investigating the cause of the outbreak. The sale of pipis in the Sydney area has been suspended, and a recommendation that pipis be thoroughly cooked inside before eating, has been issued.

This article was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Vol 21 No 23, December 1997.