The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced a recall of oysters harvested in the southeastern area of Galveston Bay following dozens of reports of norovirus throughout multiple states.

The recall spans all oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7, including oysters still in the shell or already shucked, according to a statement released by the DSHS.

The DSHS is also urging consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 to check the packaging to see if they were harvested in the affected area.

Reports of sickness have come in from multiple states, with the DSHS tracing the cause to oysters harvested in Galveston Bay. Health departments in North Carolina and Louisianna have reported illnesses connected to the oysters.

According to a WNTZ-TV report, nearly 40 people in the Louisiana were sickened after consuming the recalled oysters from Texas.

Norovirus symptoms 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 their exposure to oysters.

No hospitalizations have been reported, DSHS said.

DSHS said restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from the affected area of Galveston Bay should be discarded.

Epidemiologists at the DSHS said they are working with local health departments to investigate cases of illness. They will test water samples collected in the recall area to determine when it may safely reopen for oyster harvesting. No other species of seafood are affected by the recall.

Recall Safety