Crew members prepare to break up oyster clusters harvested off the Mississippi Coast. (Illan Ireland/Mississippi Free Press)
The Louisiana Department of Health has closed down oyster harvesting in the area east of Lake Borgne and issued a recall for any catch taken from the area since Jan. 10.
State officials say 15 people have become ill with a “norovirus-like” illness after eating oysters from Area 3, which includes the area north of Eloi Bay, the Chandeleur Islands and surrounding marshes. The recall includes shucked, frozen, breaded, post-harvest processed and oysters on the half-shell.
According to the health department, the people who became ill ate at unnamed New Orleans restaurants from Jan. 15-31. Their illnesses were not life-threatening, but two people had to be hospitalized and have since been discharged.
Officials noted all oysters harvested outside Area 3 and all other Louisiana seafood statewide are safe for consumption.
Norovirus is the virus that causes the “stomach flu,” with symptoms that can include nausea, cramping, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure. Some people report a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and general fatigue from norovirus. The illness is usually brief, with symptoms lasting a day or two.
Contaminated oysters are not the only culprit for norovirus. Health officials said it can be contracted by eating food or drinking liquids contaminated by infected food handlers. Cooking kills the virus, but other outbreaks have occurred from eating undercooked oysters harvested from contaminated waters.
The Area 3 closure is expected to be in place for at least 21 days, the health department said. Its staff has notified local oyster harvesters who work in the affected area and the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
The area will be reopened as soon as its oysters meet Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) standards, a determination the state Office of Public Health’s Molluscan Shellfish Program makes.
The process of decontamination solely involves nature, as oyster waters are cleaned by the natural cycle of tides. Oysters are filter feeders and can accumulate contaminants and microorganisms, which can in turn affect people who eat raw or under-processed contaminated oysters.
Anyone who suspects they have become ill from contaminated oysters is asked to contact their regional state epidemiologist or submit a report at https://redcap.link/oysterillnesses.
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