The FDA is warning the public, restaurants, and retailers about oysters from British Columbia, Canada growing areas BC 14-8 because they may be contaminated with norovirus. These oysters were exported to California. They are Fanny Bay, Sunseeker, and Cloudy Bay oysters that were originally harvested from British Columbia (BC), Canada growing area BC 14-8 Landfile (LF) # 0278741 on 11/27/2024 and 12/03/2024 and from growing area BC 14-8 LF # 0335309 on 12/03/2024 and 12/05/2024.
The oysters were shipped to distributors and retailers in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, Canada and in California, and may have been distributed to other states as well.
The photo is an example of a shellfish tag that would be attached to containers of oysters. Taylor Shellfish Canada has issued this recall. It’s important that restaurants not serve, retailers not sell, and consumers not eat these oysters, especially if they are served raw or undercooked.
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that can cause serious illness among certain populations, especially people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after eating food contaminated with the pathogen. Most people get better without medical treatment in one to three days.
But some people can become ill enough to require hospitalizations. Dehydration is the typical complication with norovirus.
Symptoms of norovirus include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body ache. If you ate these oysters from British Columbia and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor.
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