Massachusetts health officials are warning that oysters harvested from Cape Cod Bay may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacteria that causes about 4,500 cases of foodborne illness every year. That area has tidal flats with shallow water that can become very warm during the day. In just the right conditions of warm temperatures and the water's salt content, the bacteria grows very quickly in the shellfish. Then when those oysters are eaten raw or undercooked, the bacteria can make people sick. The illness is characterized by watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fever, chills, and vomiting. Most people recover within a few days, but some people, especially those in high risk groups, can become seriously ill. Last year, five people became very ill with V. … [Read more...]
Norovirus Outbreak Prompts Oyster Recall In LA, MD, TX and GA
After being identified as the source of a norovirus outbreak, oysters harvested off the Louisiana coast are being recalled from destinations in Louisiana, Maryland, Texas and Georgia, according to Ken Pastorick, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. The outbreak has also prompted the temporary closure of the area where the oysters were harvested. "Area 23, one of 28 coastal shellfish harvesting zones in Louisiana, will be closed for at least three weeks," said Pastorick. When oysters are harvested, they are put into burlap sacks and marked with a tag that identifies the harvesting area. There are a total of 1,141 sacks of oysters in this recall, 80 of them went to the New Orleans area. Some of those oysters, served at a New Orleans restaurant on April 28 … [Read more...]
