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A Norovirus Outbreak has Occurred in NJ
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province, have been linked to an outbreak of norovirus, a condition that causes gastrointestinal upset, body pains, and dehydration.
Oysters harvested as early as January in parts of Baynes Sound in British Columbia were distributed to restaurants and retailers across the United States, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, according to the FDA's announcement on Wednesday.
"A multi-state outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters is being investigated by the US Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and state and local partners," according to the announcement.
The FDA advised restaurants not to sell the oysters and to "dispose of any goods by putting them in the garbage or returning them to their distributor for destruction."
According to CBS reports, several restaurants in New Jersey offer oysters from all over the world, but they are now suspicious of where they acquire them from after almost 100 people were ill.
Despite the fact that Canadian oysters, including those from Prince Edward Island (PEI), are unaffected, some restaurateurs and stores are avoiding them outright.
This announcement, according to some merchants, will create a stigma around Canadian oysters, or oysters in general.
According to Scott Lennox, co-founder of the
Barnegat Oyster Collective, which harvests farm-raised oysters in Barnegat Bay and neighboring areas and curates a mix of east and west coast oysters for consumers, announcements like these can cause ambiguous perceptions and harm the sector.
Although the cause has yet to be determined, Lennox believes it could be due to a multitude of things such as human contamination, sewer overflow, or run-off.
He also stated that British Columbia is a stunningly beautiful and pure area, and that "Canada has a fantastic reputation for dealing with issues like this since they export all over the world."
"We sell a lot of oysters, especially in the summer," Burke added, "because people enjoy sitting outside and eating oysters." "We'll perform our study and due diligence, and we'll keep a close eye on the headlines. For the time being, we'll just play it safe."
What are the symptoms of norovirus infection?
Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach discomfort are the most typical symptoms of norovirus infection. Fever, headache, and bodily soreness are some of the other symptoms.
According to the FDA, symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure to norovirus.
The majority of people who have norovirus recover in one to three days.
Norovirus can be contracted by anybody who eats raw shellfish, but young children, the elderly, and people with low immune systems are more prone to develop severe symptoms.
