Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

A norovirus outbreak that has sickened at least three people in Washington state has prompted a recall of ASSI brand frozen, shucked oyster meat from Korea.

Korean Farms of Sante Fe Springs, Calif., the distributor, is recalling three-pound bags of frozen, shucked oyster meat labeled  ASSI Brand “INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN OYSTER” with a “Better if Used By” date of “2013.02.232.” 

The bags were distributed to eight states: Washington, California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, and Utah in boxes of 10 bags each with the lot number C-110223, appearing on each shipping carton , along with a “SHUCKED DATE: 2011.02.24.Some of the oysters were served in a Washington state restaurant where three diners who ate them became ill.

Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines). The most common symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. The illness often begins suddenly and norovirus can make people feel extremely ill with frequent vomiting and diarrhea. Most people get better within 1 to 2 days. Dehydration can be a problem among some people with norovirus infection, especially the very young, the elderly, and people with other illnesses.
Norovirus is highly contagious. People with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin feeling ill to at least 3 days and perhaps for as long as 2 weeks after recovery, making control of this disease difficult.  Norovirus can spread quickly in settings such as day care centers or nursing homes. Health officials urge anyone with these symptoms to seek medical attention immediately. 

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Hood Canal raw oysters have been linked to an outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus illness, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release.

The agency is warning consumers not to eat oysters that were harvested from “growing area 4” in Hood Canal, Washington, from August 30 to September 19, after they were linked to three confirmed and two possible cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus illness. There have been no reports of hospitalizations or deaths resulting from consuming the oysters.

The Washington State Department of Health has closed the growing area and commercial oyster harvesters and dealers who have initiated a recall. Shipping records indicate that oysters harvested from this area were distributed to establishments in 23 states and four foreign countries. They are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Washington, and to the countries of China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Washington State authorities have notified those states involved of the recall.

Symptoms of Vibrio illness include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and usually begin between a few hours and five days after consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, particularly shellfish, or after ingestion of surface waters. Individuals with weakened immune systems are most at risk.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm273315.htm 

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Attorney Elliot Olsen of our law firm recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit involving an Ohio man who died after eating raw oysters.

In July 2009, while vacationing in Florida, our client dined at an oyster bar and contracted a Vibrio vulnificus bacterial infection. He began suffering common food poisoning symptoms the following day, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The day after that, his condition worsened. He was hospitalized and put into a medically induced coma. It was just days before his wedding.

As the infection spread, his fiancé had no choice but to allow doctors to amputate both his legs in order to save his life. After several months of learning to live his life in a wheelchair and fighting the infection, the client died in December 2009. His family set up a fund after his death to help other families struggling with a tragic health problem.

“There are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of Vibrio vulnificus to consumers,” Attorney Elliot Olsen says. “For example, California has banned the sale of raw, untreated Gulf oysters during the warmest months, when they are most likely to carry the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. There are also ways of sanitizing the oysters so they remain raw when served in restaurants, but are free of this dangerous pathogen.”

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria are found commonly in oysters harvested from coastal waters during the warmest months, according to the CDC:

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium in the same family as those that cause cholera. It normally lives in warm seawater where it can contaminate seafood, including mussels, clams, scallops and oysters. Oysters are especially likely to contain this bacterium.

Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The bacteria can infect the blood stream, causing septicemia, a severe and life-threatening illness.

In November 2009—just a month before the client’s death—the Food and Drug Administration indefinitely delayed a proposed ban on the sale of raw oysters, and the debate continues between food safety advocates and Gulf Coast oyster suppliers.

Attorney Elliot Olsen represents food poisoning victims nationwide. He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

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An oyster harvesting area off the Louisiana coast will remain closed for at least 21 days in connection with a Norovirus outbreak that occurred at a seafood conference in Mississippi.

The closure of the Plaquemines Parish molluscan shellfish harvesting area was ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Wednesday. The order also recalled all oysters harvested from the area since March 6, including shucked, frozen, breaded and post-harvest processed oysters, and oysters for the half shell market.

"Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry signed the closure order when the Department was notified by the Mississippi State Department of Health that a Norovirus outbreak may have been caused by oysters harvested from Basin 4, Area 7,'' said a press release. 

Eleven people at the seafood conference were sickened and one was hospitalized.

Norovirus is a virus that causes flu-like symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping for one to two days on average. Occasional symptoms may include low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.

The food most commonly associated with Norovirus outbreaks is shellfish. Clams, oysters and other shellfish can become contaminated from raw sewage dumped by boaters. Water, ice, produce and ready-to-eat foods are also common sources of Norovirus infection.

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 The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today reopened Area 29 to oyster harvesting after it had been shut down over concerns that the oysters caused a Norovirus outbreak in North Carolina last month.

"DHH evaluations of Area 29, located in Lower Calcasieu Lake, have determined the molluscan shellfish growing waters there are suitable for harvest of oysters,'' the department said in a press release.

Calcasieu Lake is an estuary in the Gulf of Mexico south of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested from the San Antonio Bay between Nov. 16 and Nov. 25 and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised consumers not to consume any oysters harvested from the beds after Nov. 16.

The warnings are related to an investigation into about a dozen Norovirus-related illnesses from South Carolina and North Carolina residents who ate San Antonio Bay oysters.

Consumers who ate oyster products on or after Nov.16 and have experienced symptoms of norovirus are encouraged to contact their health care provider and local health department. 

Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Affected individuals often experience low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a general sense of tiredness. Most people show symptoms within 48 hours of exposure to the virus. The illness typically lasts one to two days. Norovirus typically is not life-threatening,

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