The FDA is advising restraints and consumers to avoid potentially contaminated oysters from Harvest Area TX 1 in Galveston, Texas. The culprit is norovirus. Last week, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services revealed that an outbreak linked to those oysters has sickened dozens of people in Florida and Texas. The oysters were harvested between November 17, 2022 and December 7, 2022 from that harvest area and were distributed to restaurants and retailers in these states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Other states may have also received the oysters. The harvest information should be on the packaging. Texas officials issued a recall order for all of those oysters on December 8, 2022 and informed the Interstate Shellfish … [Read more...]
Galveston Bay Oyster Outbreak in Texas, Florida Sickens Dozens
A Galveston Bay oyster outbreak in Texas has sickened dozens of people in that state and also in Florida, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). A recall of all oysters that were harvested in the TX 1 area of southeastern Galveston Bay has been ordered. No other species of seafood are affected by this recall. The recall includes oysters on the half shell and shucked oysters that were harvested there from November 17, 2022 through December 7, 2022. You can see a map of the oyster areas in those waters at DSHS web site. The area was closed on December 8, 2022 after receiving reports from health departments in both Texas and Florida that people who ate oysters harvested from TX 1 were getting sick. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, nausea, … [Read more...]
Dai One Foods Raw Oysters Linked to Sapovirus Outbreak
Dai One Foods raw oysters are linked to a sapovirus outbreak, according to the FDA, which has issued a warning about the shellfish. These oysters were imported from the Republic of Korea. The Southern Nevada Health District notified the FDA of two clusters of illnesses from people who ate the raw oysters at a restaurant in Law Vegas on October 28, 2022 and November 5, 2022. There is one confirmed and nine potential patients. Sapovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, especially in children. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, along with headache, fever, and body aches. Most people get sick about 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus, and the illness lasts about one to four days. Anyone who has recently consumed raw … [Read more...]
FDA Issues Alert About Oyster Kings Oysters For Salmonella
The FDA has issued an alert about Oyster Kings Oysters that were imported from Canada because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. A recall was issued last week in Canada about this issue. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recalled oysters were sold under many different brand names. They include Acadian Gold Oysters Choice Oysters, Acadian Pearl Oysters Cocktail Oysters, Baccarat Cocktail Oysters, Capitaine Barney Oysters Jewel Oysters with Firebarns brand Tequila Lime Hot Sauce, Coffret De L’Arcadie Jewel Oysters Cocktail Oysters Choice Oysters, Honeymoon Choice Oysters, No. 69 Jewel Oysters, Nuit Blanche Jewel Oysters, Opus Choice Oysters, Point. G Cocktail Oysters, Sex on the Bay Cocktail Oysters, and Umami Choice … [Read more...]
Vibrio Death Investigated in Escambia County, Florida
A Vibrio death is being investigated by public health officials in Escambia County, Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health in that county. Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that lives in warm, brackish seawater and it grows faster in the warmer summer months. Shellfish, including oysters, consume the pathogen as they feed on plankton, and it concentrates in the flesh. Anyone who eats a contaminated raw or undercooked oysters can get sick. And anyone with cuts, scratches, or open wounds can be exposed to the pathogen through direct contact with seawater or estuarine water. About 80,000 people are sickened with vibriosis every year, and about 100 people die. While most people who contract this infection only have a mild illness, people in certain populations can … [Read more...]
Oyster Norovirus Outbreak Sickens at Least 328 in Canada
A large oyster norovirus outbreak has sickened at least 328 people in Canada as of April 8, 2022 (and at least 103 in the United States). Raw and undercooked oysters can contain pathogens such as norovirus that can make you sick. The patient case count by province is: British Columbia (293), Alberta (3), Saskatchewan (1), Manitoba (15), and Ontario (16). Illness onset dates range fro mid-January and early April 2022. Not all cases hav been tested, but the presence of norovirus has been confirmed based on the tests of several patients. The outbreak is linked to consumption of raw oysters from British Columbia. Some oyster harvest areas in British Columbia associated with this outbreak have been closed as a part of this investigation. Several food recalls have been issued in … [Read more...]
FDA: Do Not Sell or Serve Norovirus Raw Oysters From Canada
The FDA is advising retailers and restaurants not to serve or sell norovirus raw oysters imported from Canada. There is a large norovirus outback in Canada associated with those oysters, and there are also norovirus outbreaks in Minnesota, California, and Washington state. The FDA, CDC, and the Public Health Agency of Canada are investigating a multi-state outbreak of norovirus linked to raw oysters. The potentially contaminated raw oysters that were harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound in British Columbia were distributed to restaurants and retailers in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. More states may have received these oysters. A trace forward … [Read more...]
Minnesota Oyster Norovirus Outbreak Sickens 29
A Minnesota oyster norovirus outbreak has sickened at least 29 people, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The raw oysters were harvested from a specific bay in British Columbia, Canada, and were served at Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale on March 20, 2022. The Minnesota Department of Health, Hennepin County Public Health, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are working with federal officials and public health agencies in other states and Canada to investigate norovirus illnesses that are associated with oysters harvested from Bay 14-8 in British Columbia. Those sickened in Minnesota became ill with confirmed or suspected norovirus gastroenteritis after eating the oysters at Travail Kitchen. The oysters served were Stellar Bay Gold oysters harvested on March … [Read more...]
Oysters Recalled For Norovirus in Canada as Outbreak Monitored
Oysters recalled for norovirus in Canada are being named as an outbreak is monitored. There are currently three recalls for raw oysters on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website. Illnesses are associated with all of these oysters, according to the CFIA. The first recall is for some Stellar Bay Shellfish Chef Creek Oysters. Those oysters were sold in British Columbia and may also have been sold in other territories and provinces. The recalled item is Stellar Bay Shellfish Oyster, Chef Creek, sold in variable, or clerk-served packages. You can see the Harvest Date and lot numbers at the CFIA site. This recall was an update to an earlier recall with more products, including Stellar Bay Gold, Large Oyster Kusshi, and Kusshi Oysters. Those three types of oysters were sold in … [Read more...]
Potters Pond Campylobacter Outbreak in Rhode Island Sickens Seven
A Potters Pond Campylobacter outbreak has closed the area, which is used for shellfish harvesting, in Rhode Island after seven people got sick with the bacterial infection, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Potters Pond is located in South Kingston, Rhode Island. The pond is going to remain closed until further notice. An investigation linked the illnesses to shellfish harvested in the area. A shellfish sample collected by RIDOH tested positive for Campylobacter Iari. The shellfish sample doses not match the illnesses from the investigation, however, the positive shellfish sample does indicate the presence of Campylobacter in the pond. More samples are being collected and tested. Two of the … [Read more...]
