The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning restaurants not to serve oysters harvested in the south and central part of Baynes Sound in British Columbia because the shellfish could be contaminated with norovirus.
The public-health watchdog said it has confirmed that the potentially infected oysters have already been distributed to foodservice and retail establishments in 13 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
Other states could be added to the list as the FDA continues to determine the full scope of the distribution.
As of Friday, 431 people in the U.S. and Canada have been sickened by the oysters, according to the food safety expert and advocate Bill Marler.
The suspect shellfish are tagged as coming from the Canadian province’s BC 14-8 and BC 14-15 harvest areas. They may have been shipped as long ago as Jan. 31, according to the FDA. Norovirus does not usually give contaminated foods a peculiar smell or taste, making detection difficult.
Restaurants should either throw away the shellfish themselves or return it to their distributors for destruction.
Norovirus brings symptoms similar to the ailments associated with the stomach flu, including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pains. An infection can be serious or fatal for children, the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems.
Cooking can kill the virus, but restaurants are encouraged to trash the shellfish regardless of how they intend to serve it.
Update: A count of the victims was added to this story.
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