The norovirus is transmitted by fecal contamination of food and or water. Noroviruses are the common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans.
The FDA is warning consumers to not eat raw or partially cooked oysters harvested from Copano Bay, in Aransas County, Texas, harvested between Dec. 26, 2013 and Jan. 9, 2014.
Oysters harvested from Copano Bay, Texas, on Dec. 26, 2013, and then shipped by Alby’s Seafood of Fulton, Texas, have been linked to six norovirus illnesses in Louisiana. The Texas Department of State Health Services closed Copano Bay to shellfish harvesting on Jan. 9, 2014.
The FDA is warning consumers not to eat raw or partially cooked shellfish from Copano Bay, in Aransas County, Texas, harvested between Dec. 26, 2013 and Jan. 9, 2014.
Some of the symptoms of the virus include nausea, forceful vomiting, watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms include lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever may occur. In general the norovirus is spread to approximately 267 million people. This results in over 200,000 deaths each year. These deaths usually involve the very young, elderly and those with immune deficiencies.
The FDA encourages consumers with questions about food safety to call 1-888-SAFEFOOD Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time or to consult the fda.gov website: www.fda.gov.