FDA issues oyster contamination warning for Florida, 12 other states

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Korean company selling frozen half shell oysters is now subject to a recall by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amid concerns over sapovirus contamination. 13 states, including Florida, have been issued the alerts by the FDA due to safety risks.

According to the FDA‘s Nov. 23 warning, the oysters in the recall were exported to the U.S. by Dai One Food Co. The federal agency is warning consumers not to eat the oysters, and alerting restaurants and food retailers to dispose of the products if they have a harvest date of Feb. 6, 2022.

The FDA said “frozen half shell oysters, frozen oyster IQF, and frozen oyster block harvested from the same harvest area on 2/6/2022” were recalled by Dai One, after being shipped from the Republic of Korea.

From the end of October to early November, the FDA said two illness clusters were reported by the Southern Nevada Health District after individuals consumed raw oysters in Las Vegas. One individual was confirmed to have sapovirus, and nine others are potentially also afflicted with the illness.

What is sapovirus?

Sapoviruses, according to the FDA, are similar to norovirus and can cause “sporadic gastroenteritis” in all age groups. Infections are reportedly more frequent in children under 5 years old than in adult patients.

Typical symptoms of sapovirus include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and body ache, according to the FDA. Symptoms develop between 12 to 48 hours after infected and last up to four days.

FDA reports say that those who are or could become pregnant, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems, and have consumed raw oysters should be aware of the contamination alert.

The states included in the recall warning are: