The FDA is warning people not to eat raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada, after a large outbreak of food poisoning.
State health officials in California reported that 34 people were infected with Norovirus after eating raw oysters at 9 restaurants in March. Other states have also reported illnesses associated with oysters from British Columbia, according to health officials.
The potentially contaminated oysters were sent to restaurants and retailers in the following states: CA, CO, FL, HI, IL, MA, MN, NJ, NV, NY, OR, TX, and WA, and maybe other states through distributors.
“Retailers should not serve raw oysters harvested from the following harvest locations (or landfiles) within Baynes Sound: #1407063, #1411206, #278737 in BC 14-8 and #1400036, in BC 14-15. “Baynes Sound” will show on product tags as “14-8”and/or “DEEP BAY”, or “14-15.”.
As of March 30, 2022, health officials in Canada have reported a total of 279 people who suffered gastrointestinal illnesses after eating raw oysters between mid-January and late March 2022.
Norovirus is a highly-contagious virus that typically causes diarrhea and vomiting for about 24 to 48 hours. It spreads through direct contact with an infected person, as well as contaminated food, water and dirty surfaces.
In the past, large outbreaks of Norovirus have occurred on cruise ships, restaurants, raw shellfish, schools, and more. Most healthy adults recover without long-term health problems, but Norovirus infections can sometimes cause dehydration or other serious complications.
