The Texas Department of Health and Human Services has a recall in effect for oysters harvested from a certain part of the Gulf coast, which authorities say have been making people sick. And now Harris County Public Health has instructed all establishments in the county to stop serving oysters that originated there.
The oysters came from Harvest Area TX-1, according to the health department. That’s in southeastern Galveston Bay.
The state health department says they've gotten reports of gastrointestinal illnesses from eating oysters from the area. The oysters have also been tied to at least three cases of norovirus, according to DSHS.
Reported 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 the exposure to oysters.
As of Friday, no hospitalizations had been reported, DSHS said.
Officials said the recall includes oysters in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7.
Consumers, who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17, should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1, DSHS said. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source.
DSHS said restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.
If you have questions about the oyster recall, contact the Environmental Public Health Division at 713-439-6000