On Monday, the BC Centre for Disease Control issued an advisory for consumers of raw BC oysters.
The shellfish has been linked to about 40 cases of acute gastrointestinal illness reported to public health authorities in the province since early March 2018.
Researchers have tested samples of raw oysters from BC that confirmed the presence of norovirus, and still others are being tested – the investigation is currently ongoing.
No more raw oysters
A total of 347 norovirus cases due to raw or undercooked BC oysters were reported in BC, Alberta and Ontario in late 2016 and early 2017.
Symptoms of norovirus include nausea, cramping, chills, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you experience these symptoms after eating raw oysters, call BC HealthLink at 811.
Although the source of the contamination has not officially been identified, the CDC believes that human waste dumped into the ocean is the most probable cause of the shellfish going bad.
Health Authorities stress that oysters should be cooked to an internal temperature of 90°C for 90 seconds in order to kill pathogens, before consumption.
