Health officials are investigating an outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters from Texas.
As of December 15, 2022, approximately 211 illnesses have been reported in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, according to the CDC.
Restaurants and food retailers are being advised not to serve or sell raw oysters from Harvest Area TX 1, located in a southeastern area of Galveston Bay, Texas, if the oysters were harvested between November 17 and December 7, 2022.
The recall involves oysters in the shell and shucked oysters.
On December 8, the Texas Department of State Health Services closed the area to harvesting, according to a news alert.
Raw oysters can be contaminated with norovirus, which usually causes symptoms 12 to 48 hours after a person ingests the virus. The illness usually lasts for 1 to 3 days, with symptoms like vomiting, frequent diarrhea, fever, headache, body ache, and feeling very ill.
People with symptoms of notorious after eating raw oysters should contact their healthcare provider and tell them about the exposure, and receive care.
Health officials in Texas said they will test water samples for contamination. The area will not re-open for oyster harvesting until it is safe to do so.
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