Urgent do not eat warning issued for oysters contaminated with diarrhea-causing super bug in multiple states

Health officials person recalled oysters shipped to 7 states aft 15 radical fell sick with norovirus. 

Oysters harvested southeastern Lousiana were recalled by this week aft wellness officials recovered they were contaminated with norovirus, a highly contagious illness that causes terrible vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.

The recall includes shucked, frozen, breaded, post-harvest processed and half-shell oysters harvested betwixt January 10 and February 4 successful Louisiana's Area 3.

The Louisiana Department of Health describes this country arsenic 'east of Lake Borgne, northbound of Eloi Bay, and includes Chandeleur Islands and surrounding marshes.'

According to wellness officials, 15 radical fell sick with 'norovirus-like illness' aft eating affected oysters sold astatine respective restaurants successful caller Orleans betwixt January 15 and January 31.

Two patients were hospitalized, but nary deaths were reported.

Affected oysters were shipped to retailers successful Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas, though officials warned they whitethorn person been distributed to different states arsenic well. 

The FDA advised restaurants and retailers to dispose of affected oysters and told consumers to debar eating them. 

Health officials said each different oysters harvested successful Louisiana extracurricular of Area 3 are harmless to eat.  

Norovirus is 1 of the 4 illnesses surging successful the US successful what experts person dubbed a 'quad-demic.'  

The illness infects astir 21 cardinal Americans annually and sends astir 2 cardinal to their doctor's offices oregon urgent care. 

It causes terrible diarrhea and vomiting, which tin pb to life-threatening dehydration. 

It spreads done contact with germs from an infected person’s vomit oregon feces, contaminated food, shared utensils, oregon surfaces they’ve touched.

While astir radical retrieve wrong a fewer days, the microorganism kills astir 900 radical each year, mostly adults 65 and up. 

Outbreaks are astir communal successful the wintertime owed to a leap successful the fig of radical gathering successful groups for vacation festivities, traveling, and staying lukewarm indoors, wherever pathogens tin dispersed easily. 

Symptoms of norovirus – nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea – travel connected quickly, wrong 12 to 48 hours of exposure. 

Doctors accidental the unwellness tin beryllium avoided by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and h2o for astatine slightest 20 seconds, washing nutrient earlier eating it, sanitizing countertops, avoiding radical who person been infected, and cooking seafood to astatine slightest 145 degrees.

Health officials said residents who deliberation they person go sick from contaminated oysters should interaction a section epidemiologist oregon record a study with the authorities wellness department.