CDC, FDA Warn of Multi-State Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Oysters

Federal officials are warning about a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella infections connected to raw oysters that has sickened 27 people so far.

An update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 19 said that oysters harvested by the Little Wicomico Oyster Company from the Little Wicomico River area in Virginia were linked to the outbreak.

“Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled oysters,” the CDC said.

It said that among the 27 who were sickened across 12 states, five were hospitalized with no deaths. According to a map posted by the CDC, eight were sickened in Pennsylvania, four in New York, and three in Virginia, while cases were also reported in New Jersey, Maryland, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, and Connecticut.

Little Wicomico Oyster Company announced a voluntary recall of raw oysters on Oct. 9 and contacted customers about the products. Virginia state officials also moved to shut down the Little Wicomico River harvest area as a precaution.

The oyster company said the oysters were harvested from Sept. 18 through Oct. 8 of this year, according to a notice published by the Virginia Department of Health.

The company told the state that it “has stopped harvesting from the affected area and is cooperating with public health officials. Oysters harvested from other Virginia growing areas are not part of this recall,” the CDC said.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an Oct. 19 update that the recalled oysters were sent to retailers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

“Consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who purchased or received these products should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that they touched,” the health regulator said.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture discovered the outbreak that was associated with Little Wicomico River-harvested oysters, according to the FDA.

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause vomiting, nausea, fever, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Most people recover from an infection without any treatment within a week, according to the Mayo Clinic.

An infection can become more severe in infants and young children, older adults, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, and people taking certain medications, including those that reduce stomach acidity, it says.

In rare cases, salmonella can infect the blood, joints, the brain or spinal fluid, and the urinary tract. Such complications can lead to death or hospitalization, according to the clinic.

CDC officials say that individuals who may be sick with salmonella or some other type of food poisoning should call their healthcare provider right away if they have more severe symptoms, including a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, bloody diarrhea, or diarrhea for more than three days without signs of improvement.

Raw oysters have also been tied to infections caused by the Vibrio bacteria, including the so-called flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, says the CDC.