MDH: 29 Minnesotans sickened by raw oysters from British Columbia
Raw oysters shipped in from Washington state are shucked by diners at Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall, Calif. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Harvesting on Tomales Bay has been temporarily suspended following reports of a few customers becoming infected with norovirus after consuming the oysters. (Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
More than two dozen Minnesotans were sickened by raw oysters from a bay in British Columbia, Canada, health officials say.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), a norovirus illness was linked to the oysters from Bay 14-8. At least 29 Minnesotans’ illnesses have been linked to the outbreak after eating the raw oysters at Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale on March 20.
“Travail Kitchen quickly brought the cases to our attention, and immediately stopped serving oysters,” Duane Hudson, the environmental health manager for Hennepin County Public Health, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Travail for their help in protecting the public from foodborne illnesses.”
While some parts of the harvest area have been closed, MDH says it’s likely that some of the Stellar Bay Gold oysters are still in the marketplace. For that reason, restaurants and distributors are being urged to discard any oysters from that area.
Norovirus and other pathogens in raw oysters can be destroyed by cooking them to 145 degrees before eating them, MDH noted.
Symptoms of norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or stomach cramps that start 12 to 48 hours after ingesting the virus.
MDH added that there’s currently a high level of norovirus activity in Minnesota, most of which isn’t associated with oysters.
“People with norovirus can spread it to others even after symptoms stop,” MDH Epidemiologist Supervisor Senior Carlota Medus said. “The best way to limit spread is to wash your hands well with soap and water after using the bathroom and before preparing food for others.”