TL;DR
A third round of oysters from Little Wicomico Oyster Company cages in Virginia’s Little Wicomico River tested positive for Salmonella, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The river remains closed to shellfish harvesting, while the CDC reports 28 outbreak illnesses across 13 states; results from another sampling round are pending.
The recall covers oysters harvested from Sept. 18 through Oct. 8. Consumers should check the harvest-area information and follow the recall guidance, including discarding frozen oyster meat if its source cannot be confirmed.
A third round of oysters collected from Little Wicomico Oyster Company cages in Virginia’s Little Wicomico River tested positive for Salmonella, the Virginia Department of Health reported. The river remains closed to shellfish harvesting with no reopening date, as the CDC counts 28 people sick in a multistate Salmonella Telelkebir outbreak.
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The latest samples were collected on Nov. 2. Three of eight oyster-meat samples tested positive, representing oysters from two of the company’s four leases. The state has collected a fourth round, on Nov. 9, but those laboratory results are still pending.
Earlier testing also found Salmonella. On Oct. 13, 400 oysters were processed into eight meat samples, and all eight tested positive for Salmonella Telelkebir, Newport, Hartford and Braenderup. In a second round on Oct. 21, samples from three of four leases tested positive; the reported strains included Telelkebir, Newport, Hartford and Thompson.
The CDC’s outbreak count is 28 illnesses in 13 states, with five people hospitalized and no deaths reported. Eleven patients said they had eaten raw oysters. Traceback records for seven of those people led to the Little Wicomico River, and two of the seven reported eating oysters from that river only.
The recall applies to shellstock oysters harvested from the river between Sept. 18 and Oct. 8 and tagged “Little Wicomico River, VA” or “Little Wicomico River Lower, VA.” FDA says the oysters were distributed to 16 states and the District of Columbia, and may have been shipped farther. Publix sold some of the oysters as James River Oysters through Oct. 14.
What the Positive Samples Mean
The positive tests mean the harvest closure remains in place while state officials continue sampling. Under the state’s reopening requirement, the river cannot reopen until three consecutive rounds test negative. A positive result in the third round means that condition has not been met; the pending fourth round will add evidence but does not itself establish when harvesting can resume.
The findings also matter to consumers because raw oysters can carry foodborne pathogens, and the outbreak investigation links a number of patients to oysters traced to this river. People who bought oysters should check the harvest tags and recall details, rather than relying only on a product’s retail name. Anyone with frozen oyster meat from late September or early October who cannot verify its source should discard it, according to the source report’s recall guidance.
For public health, the investigation has not established where the Salmonella originated. The latest positive samples show contamination in oysters from company cages, but the available environmental tests have not identified a clear source. That distinction matters: a confirmed positive oyster test does not, by itself, establish the route by which the bacteria reached the shellfish.
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How the River Closure Developed
The Virginia Department of Health first closed the river by emergency order on Oct. 9. When that 30-day order expired, the department replaced it with Shellfish Area Condemnation 010-105, which has no expiration date. The closure applies to shellfish harvesting in the affected area; the source report does not give a date when officials expect it to end.
State testing has included locations beyond the company’s cages. Oysters from the river’s public harvest grounds sampled on Oct. 26 tested negative. Water and oysters from those public grounds collected on Nov. 4 were sent to the University of North Carolina, and results remained pending in the source report.
Virginia also tested environmental samples while seeking a possible source. All 47 water samples collected Oct. 22 were negative for HF183, a marker of human sewage. Enterococci, a general fecal indicator, ranged from below the detection limit to 120 MPN per 100 milliliters. The health department said those results did not point to a significant sewage release. Eight bird-feces samples collected Nov. 2 were negative for Salmonella.
“The data do not point to a significant sewage release.”
— Virginia Department of Health
The Source and Test Results
The source of the Salmonella has not been established. Negative HF183 results and the state’s assessment of the water samples do not prove how the bacteria reached the oysters. Likewise, negative bird-feces samples do not rule out every possible source. The available results are limited to the samples collected and tested.
Results from the Nov. 9 sampling round were still pending at the state laboratory. Results from water and oysters collected at public grounds on Nov. 4 were also pending at the University of North Carolina. The source report does not say when those results will be released.
The CDC’s 28-case count is the reported total at the time of the report, not a final tally. It is also not clear whether oysters shipped beyond the listed states reached additional locations. FDA’s alert says they may have been shipped farther.
Pending Tests and Recall Checks
State officials are awaiting the fourth round of oyster tests and results from the Nov. 4 public-ground samples. The river’s harvesting status will depend on the state’s testing and closure requirements; it cannot reopen until three rounds in a row come back clean. No reopening date has been announced.
Consumers should check whether shellstock oysters were harvested from the Little Wicomico River during the recall dates and whether the tag identifies either of the affected harvest areas. The listed distribution includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. The alert says further distribution is possible.
If oyster meat was shucked and frozen in late September or early October and its origin cannot be confirmed, the source report advises throwing it away. Anyone who becomes ill after eating oysters should contact a health care provider; the report does not provide additional clinical guidance or a timeline for the investigation’s next public update.
Key Questions
Are oysters from the Little Wicomico River still being harvested?
No. The river remains closed to shellfish harvesting under a state condemnation order with no expiration date. Officials have not announced a reopening date.
Which oysters are covered by the recall?
The recall covers shellstock oysters harvested from the Little Wicomico River from Sept. 18 through Oct. 8, tagged “Little Wicomico River, VA” or “Little Wicomico River Lower, VA.” Some were sold by Publix as James River Oysters through Oct. 14.
How many people are reported sick?
The CDC count in the source report is 28 people across 13 states, including five hospitalizations and no deaths. The count could change as the investigation continues.
Has the source of the Salmonella been identified?
No. Officials have not identified the source. Water testing did not point to a significant sewage release, and bird-feces samples tested negative, but those findings do not establish how contamination occurred.
What should I do with frozen oyster meat if I do not know where it came from?
If it was shucked and frozen in late September or early October and its source cannot be confirmed, the source report advises discarding it. Check packaging or harvest tags when available and follow the recall alert.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
