The FDA has issued a safety alert for Little Wicomico Company oysters that were harvested from the Little Wicomico River in Virginia because they are linked to a Salmonella Telelkebir outbreak. The oysters are whole (shellstock) oysters, batch VA-1421-SP that were harvested from September 18 through October 8, 2026.
The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (1), New Jersey (1), Colorado (2), Indiana (2), Maryland (2), Virginia (3), New York (4), and Pennsylvania (8). The patient age range is from 1 to 86 years. And illness onset dates range from May 29, 2026 to October 6, 2026. Five people have been hospitalized because they are so ill.
The oysters were sold to restaurants and retailers in the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington D.C. they may have been sold in other states. The river has been closed to oyster harvesting.
The oysters are past their best by date and should no longer be for sale, but some restaurants or consumers may have frozen them for later use. Freezing does not destroy Salmonella bacteria so they are unsafe to eat. Oysters are filter feeders, so they remove food from the water. If pathogens are in the food, they become part of the oysters. Then when the shellfish are served raw or not sufficiently cooked, it can make you sick.
Throw the oysters away or return them for a refund. If you ate these oysters, monitor your health for the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning for the next week. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
