In a swift response to a norovirus outbreak, health authorities have initiated a recall of oysters and Manila clams distributed across several states. The affected seafood was harvested between December 1 and December 9 of this year from multiple growing areas in British Columbia, Canada. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidance advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell any of the recalled products.
The first recall was announced on December 16, focusing on oysters and Manila clams harvested by Rudy’s Shellfish in Washington State. A subsequent recall, initiated on December 18, concerns oysters sold under the brand names Fanny Bay, Buckley Bay, and Royal Miyagi. These recalls aim to mitigate the spread of norovirus, a highly contagious virus known to cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Norovirus can be challenging to detect in food, as contaminated products may appear normal in look, smell, and taste. Symptoms typically develop 12 to 48 hours after exposure and include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, and body aches. Although symptoms usually start resolving within 1 to 3 days, the virus remains a significant public health concern.
The potentially contaminated seafood was harvested from the Pickering Passage growing area between November 15 and December 11 of this year. Distributed to restaurants and food retailers in various states, the recalled seafood has reached Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) highlights that norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that can spread rapidly through food. The FDA's advisory serves as a preventative measure to protect consumers from the risk of infection associated with these recalled products.
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