The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging the public to avoid raw oysters from a region in Mexico that is linked to a multistate outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses.
The food safety alert reported at least 16 people sick from five states, including two hospitalizations. Cases of illnesses have been reported in Alaska, California, Illinois, New Hampshire and Nevada. In between December 16, 2018 and April 4, 2019.
Laboratory tests discovered that multiple pathogens were found causing the illnesses, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Shigella flexneri, STEC non-O157, Vibrio albensis, Campylobacter lari, and norovirus genogroup 1.
The oysters were harvested from Estero El Cardon estuary in Baja California Sur in Mexico, which has been closed pending an investigation. So far only one U.S. distributor, DiCarlo Seafood, has issued a voluntary recall.
Symptoms of the gastrointestinal illnesses include diarrhea, stomach cramps or pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. According to the CDC, symptoms typically start one to four days after consuming the oysters and can last up to a week.
