The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and state and local partners, are investigating a multi-state outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with federal, state, and local officials, and with Canadian public health authorities regarding anorovirus outbreak linked to raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada. FDA has confirmed that potentially contaminated raw oysters harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, were distributed to restaurants and retailers in CA, CO, FL, HI, IL, MA, MN, NJ, NV, NY, OR, TX, and WA. It is possible that additional states received these oysters through further distribution within the U.S.

FDA and the states conducted a trace forward investigation to determine where the raw oysters were distributed and to ensure they’re removed from the food supply. Retailers should not serve raw oysters harvested from the following harvest locations (or landfiles) within Baynes Sound: #1407063, #1411206, #278737 in BC 14-8 and #1400036, in BC 14-15. “Baynes Sound” will show on product tags as “14-8” and/or “DEEP BAY”, or “14-15.”.

Oysters can cause illness if eaten raw, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, and taste normal.

Read the full update.