It was once assumed that oysters were only safe to eat in months with the letter 'r' in their English and French names. This myth is based in truth, in that in the Northern Hemisphere, oysters are much more likely to spoil in the warmer months of May, June, July, and August. In recent years, pathogens such as "Vibrio parahaemolyticus" have caused outbreaks in several harvesting areas of the eastern United States during the summer months, lending further credence to this belief.