(USNewsMag.com) – If you reside or are staying within the states of Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, or Mississippi, you should avoid eating oysters for the time being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that you may be at risk of contracting Norovirus, a dangerous type of virus currently to blame for more than 211 confirmed cases of sick individuals.
Food Safety Alert: CDC is investigating a norovirus #outbreak linked to raw oysters from harvest area TX 1, Galveston Bay, Texas. Restaurants and retailers should check product tags and not sell or serve contaminated raw oysters. Learn more: https://t.co/u5NzIbKw1o pic.twitter.com/xVWdM4izaV
— CDC (@CDCgov) December 16, 2022
The Norovirus-infected raw oysters were recently harvested from Galveston, Texas. The CDC is highly recommending businesses stop what they’re doing and immediately review any and all oysters before placing them for sale. Those posing the most danger are the ones harvested between November 17 and December 7, 2022.
While the CDC has been able to confirm 8 states affected so far, they do warn that more states may be affected. They are asking restaurateurs and food retailers from all across the nation to double check the dates printed on product tags before serving for consumption. They are also demanding that business owners either throw away the oysters immediately or return them to distribution centers for proper, sanitized destruction.
If you were considering buying oysters from your local supermarket or restaurant this weekend, maybe you should reconsider your plans. Being ill with Norovirus is not an easy thing to deal with. Symptoms imitate those of food poisoning, causing severe gastrointestinal issues, stomach pain, and nausea and vomiting, among other related issues. Most infected individuals recover within one to three days.
According to the CDC, outbreaks of the illness are more common than you may think. However, it is better to be safe than sorry. Be sure to check the dates if you have any oysters in your freezer and are still thinking about what to do with them. The CDC also recommends you clean any countertop or surface that these oysters may have come into contact with.
It is important to note that the risk of contracting norovirus or consuming contaminated food is more common when eating raw shellfish. Always ensure you are eating fully cooked seafood-related products to prevent any sort of potential food poisoning.
Vianca Rodriguez, Independent Political Analyst
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