Media Update

Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Virginia Oysters

Update: 

On Monday, October 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Food Safety Alert associated with a multistate Salmonella outbreak. The FDA worked with states to conduct traceback to identify sources of oysters consumed by sick people. Oysters reported by ill people were harvested from multiple geographic locations, but oysters harvested from the Little Wicomico River by Little Wicomico Oyster Company were the only oysters in common to the seven ill people included in traceback.   

Effective Friday October 9, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced an emergency closure for one shellfish growing area out of an abundance of caution and in conformance with recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The waters in the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County are closed to harvesting of oysters and clams due to a link to a Salmonella outbreak in Pennsylvania. The outbreak was declared by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in combination with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. 

In response to this single growing area closure, a recall notice was issued only for Little Wicomico Oyster Company products harvested from the now closed Little Wicomico and Little Wicomico River lower growing areas. 

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) oversees more than 90 shellfish growing areas covering four major rivers and their tributaries, the Chesapeake Bay, and estuaries of the Atlantic Ocean. Shellfish products harvested from the other open Virginia growing areas and distributed by other Virginia shellfish dealers are not impacted by the emergency closure or recall.    

Interview requests should be sent to Brookie Crawford at brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov. 

Public Guidance: 

Consumer should: 

• Not eat, sell, or serve recalled oysters. 

• Throw them away or return any recalled oysters. 

• Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled oysters using hot soapy water or a dishwasher. 

Businesses should: 

• Do not sell or serve recalled oysters. 

• Throw them away or return recalled oysters. 

• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled oysters. 

To determine if oysters are part of the recall: 

• Review shellstock tags to verify the harvest area, harvest date, and other required identifying information. 

• Check lot codes and product identification on shucked oyster containers and retain the information necessary for traceability. 

• Confirm that the identified harvest areas were open and approved for harvest on the applicable harvest date. 

• Contact Virginia shellfish dealers directly with questions about product origin, lot identification, documentation, or the source of any specific shipment. 

For more information on this investigation, please visit the Salmonella Outbreak Associated With Oysters page.