Dozens of people who ate raw clams at a clambake event at Hinerwadel's in Syracuse NY were infected with Campylobacter jejuni in September of 2010. The outbreak was concentrated among attendees of a CNY Builders Exchange event held September 15, which was attended by as many as 3,800 people.
Symptoms of campylobacteriosis, the illness caused by Campylobacter jejuni, usually appear 3-5 days after the contaminated food is consumed, although the incubation period may last as long as 10 days. Victims often experience diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and/or body pain. Mild cases will resolve in 1-2 weeks, but about 25% of people infected with Campylobacter have a relapse of symptoms. In rare cases, Campylobacter can develop into an autoimmune disorder known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS. GBS affects the body's nerve cells and can cause paralysis.
Hinerwadel's was the source of another outbreak of Campylobacter around the same time of year in 2008, when 236 people were sickened. Tests done on Hinerwadel's clams at the time showed both Campylobacter and Vibrio, another dangerous bacterium that lives in salt water.