ABSTRACT
The need for public health controls for the consumption of shellfish in the United States became a national concern during the late 19th and early 20th century when a large number
of illnesses were linked to the consumption of raw oysters, clams, and mussels. In the winter of 1924, a widespread outbreak of typhoid fever in several major U.S. cities was traced to the consumption of sewage-polluted oysters. In response to this concern, the Surgeon General held a conference in 1925 with local, state, and federal health officials. The outcome of this conference was the publication of eight resolutions captured in a 1925 supplement to Public Health Reports titled “ Report of the Committee on Sanitary Control of the Shellfish Industry in the United States” (17). These resolutions related to the need for sanitary shellfish growing areas, inspection of shellfish processing facilities, a mechanism to ensure that all shellfish were harvested from a sanitary source, proper procedures to ship shellfish, and the establishment of an acceptable microbiological stan dard for all shellfish (1).
