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‘At Risk’: CDC Warns Against Eating Raw Oysters In Eight States

Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for NYCWFF

Taylor Giles Contributor
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning Dec. 15 about eating raw oysters in eight different states harvested in one location in Texas.

Approximately 211 people became sick with the norovirus after eating oysters harvested from Galveston Bay, Texas, according to the CDC. People from Alabama, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee have become sick.

The Texas Department of State Health Services recalled all oysters harvested in the Galveston Bay, Texas, area between Nov. 17 and Dec. 7, the CDC said. Other states also issued recalls for the same oysters.

“As of December 15, 2022, 211 norovirus illnesses have been reported from 8 states. CDC is working with state and local partners to determine a more accurate number of illnesses in this outbreak and will update this number as more information is gathered,” the CDC said in the news release.

The CDC said it may not know the exact number of cases because there is no requirement for state and local health departments to report norovirus cases, the CDC said in the news release.  (RELATED: Chipotle To Pay Record $25 Million Fine To Resolve Criminal Charges Over Norovirus Outbreak)

Symptoms of norovirus include low-grade fever, nausea, vomitting, stomach pain, and loose diarrhea, according to the Mayo Clinic. These symptoms usually start 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus and last approximately 1 to 3 days.

The CDC is still investigating the outbreak.