GALVESTON, Texas — The Texas Department of Health and Human Services recalled oysters harvested between Nov. 17 and Dec. 7 from a certain part of the Gulf coast, which has made people sick, authorities said. Harris County Public Health earlier this month instructed all establishments in the county to stop serving oysters that originated there.
The oysters came from Harvest Area TX-1, according to the health department. That’s in southeastern Galveston Bay.
One Texan has been hospitalized in the outbreak and more than 200 suspected illness cases in eight states have been linked to eating raw oysters from the area, including 57 suspected cases in Texas, the health department said.
Symptoms related to norovirus include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills, and headache. People experiencing any of these symptoms after eating oysters should contact their healthcare provider and tell them about the exposure to oysters.
Consumers, who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17, should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1, DSHS said. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source.
DSHS said restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.
If you have questions about the oyster recall, contact the Environmental Public Health Division at 713-439-6000