Shellfish Water Directive

Numerous legislative changes led to reduction in the levels of amine discharges, particularly to estuarine and coastal waters (e.g., the Dangerous Substances Directive 74/464/EEC and daughter directives, which set environmental quality standards for a number of substances the Shellfish Waters Directive 79/923/EEC, which specified a range of further standards for waters supporting... 

The Council directive on the quality required of shellfish waters 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 requires that the concentration of each organohalogenated substance must not reach or exceed a level which has harmful effects on the shellfish and larvae. 

Up to now, 12 EC Directives on the protection of the aquatic environment have been adopted. Four Directives contain standards for surface waters according to use (drinking-water [ 1 ], bathing water [2 ], frash-water fish [3 ], and shellfish [4 ]).These Directives lay down quality objectives for particular uses of water. 

The epidemics of typhoid fever, due to ingestion of polluted sea food, have in most instances been traced to shellfish- floated in polluted water, although there is also evidence that oysters and other shellfish, grown in polluted waters and directly consumed without transplanting for a time in pure waters, may be the source of typhoid infection. 

Hepatitis A vaccine provides long-term protection against hepatitis A infection, which is transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated shellfish or other food or water and by direct contact with an infected person. 

Salmonella paratyphi is a bacterial enteric (intestinal) infection with an abrupt outbreak, which produces the following symptoms continued fever, headache, malaise, enlarged spleen, rose spots on the trunk of the body, and diarrhea. These symptoms are similar to those of typhoid fever, but the death rate is much lower. Mild and asymptomatic infections may also occur upon exposure. Outbreaks and locations are similar to those of the other salmonella bacteria. The infectious dose is 1000 organisms by ingestion. Transmission occurs by direct or indirect contact with feces or, in rare cases, urine of patients or carriers. It is spread by food, especially miUc and dairy products, shellfish, and in some isolated cases, water supplies. Incubation depends on the strength of the dose, but usually 1-3 weeks for enteric fever and 1-10 days for gastroenteritis. Antibiotic treatment with chloramphenicol, ampicillin, or TMP-SMX is usually effective. 

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