Consumers Warned Not To Purchase Some Mississippi Oysters

The FDA is warning consumers to not purchase Mississippi oysters recently harvested from some of the largest reefs off the gulf coast. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports.

The warnings from the FDA come after 11 people contracted the norovirus after eating raw Mississippi oysters at a Chattanooga, Tennessee restaurant. Those oysters from Area 2-C the largest harvesting area in the state, were harvested on February 24th. Dr. Mary Currier, is state epidemiologist with the Mississippi Department of Health,

“You know oysters are filter feeders so they sort of slurp up anything that is in the area where they are growing. So the oyster area is thought has been contaminated with human feces somehow, because this particular virus is only found in humans.”

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is recalling all 4700 sacks of oysters harvested from that area on February 24th, and advising consumers that any oysters harvested between February 25th-March 17th should be cooked before consuming. Joe Jewell, Assistant Director of Marine Fisheries at the Department of Marine Resources believes this was an isolated event in Tennessee,

“We’ve taken some extreme precautionary measures to reduce the risk to the public and recalled those oysters on that date. We’ve taken additional measures by closing that area by 21 days.”

Because of the size of area 2-C that closure for 21 days will have a major economic impact on commercial fishermen and seafood processors.