18 Sickened With Norovirus-Like Illnesses After Eating Oysters: DOH

OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Health has issued a health advisory warning the public to avoid raw oysters harvested from an area of British Columbia, after the oysters sickened 18 Washingtonians with "norovirus-like" illnesses.

All 18 patients ate British Columbia oysters from harvest area BC 14-8, the DOH said. The first illness was reported March 7.

The Department of Health advisory warns: If you plan on eating raw oysters at a restaurant, check beforehand they were not harvested from that harvest area. The oysters can be eaten, but only if they have been cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F for 15 seconds to kill potential norovirus.

Norovirus symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, muscle aches, fever, and headache. Symptoms typically set in between 12 and 48 hours after consumption and can last up to three days. Most people can recover on their own without treatment, but illnesses can be severe in patients who are immune compromised, like pregnant women or anyone undergoing cancer treatments.

Anyone who thinks they got sick after eating raw or undercooked oysters should talk to their doctor and notify their local health jurisdiction, the DOH said. Norovirus patients can spread the virus to others, so if you are feeling symptoms, make sure to wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water after using the bathroom. Late last month, 14 people in King County became ill after contact with the 13 people infected by the contaminated oysters.

"Norovirus is a very common, highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain and can also cause body aches, fever, and headache," said Elysia Gonzales, a medical epidemiologist at Public Health. "Norovirus spreads very easily when you have close contact with an infected person, such as sharing utensils or taking care of someone who is sick with norovirus, touching surfaces and objects that have been contaminated with norovirus, or, as in the case of this oyster related outbreak, eating foods that have been contaminated with the virus."

>> Learn more about preventing norovirus outbreaks from the Centers for Disease Contorl and Prevention.