FDA warns not to eat raw oysters from Connecticut due to potential contamination

Raw oysters harvested from Groton and Stonington have been asked to be recalled by the USFDA. According to the announcement made on Tuesday, September 5, the FDA has warned consumers, eateries, and retailers in many Northeastern states to discard raw oysters that were collected from the Groton Approved Area in New London County between Monday, August 28, and Wednesday, August 30.

The warning came after a "precautionary closure" of a few shellfish-growing areas off Groton and Stonington by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture on August 30 because of potential sewage contamination.

According to the FDA, the contaminated oysters were shipped to merchants and distributors in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It's possible that they were even shipped outside of these states.

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Risks associated with contaminated raw oysters

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture stated that the closure of shellfish-growing areas has been taken as a precautionary step. No cases of illness linked with oyster consumption have been reported yet. As per the department, all such oysters have been successfully discarded.

Meanwhile, emphasizing the health hazards of contaminated oyster consumption, the FDA announced:

“Consumers of these products who are experiencing food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, or fever should contact their healthcare provider, who should report their symptoms to their local Health Department.”

The FDA also mentioned that the pathogen-contaminated food looks normal, so it is almost impossible to figure out if the particular item has been infected or not. This is the reason why FDA issued an alert for recalling raw oysters harvested from specified areas.

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Are raw oysters safe to eat?

Oysters must be cooked well before consuming. (Image via Unsplash/ Tommaso Cantelli)

Oysters are like filters for the sea. Pumping water through their digestive tract provides them with the nutrition they require. They remove dangerous contaminants from the water in the process. An oyster filters 50 gallons of water every day on average.

Since potentially dangerous bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens can accumulate in their tissues due to this filtering, eating raw oysters poses a risk to people. These bacteria can be transferred to you if you consume raw or undercooked oysters.

Vibrio, a type of bacteria that can accumulate in the oyster's tissue, is one to keep a close eye on. The CDC states that specific strains of the bug can potentially make people ill and that it is most frequently discovered in coastal waters where oysters are collected. According to the CDC, there are around 80,000 cases of vibriosis (the sickness brought on by the vibrio bacteria) per year, and 100 people pass away as a result.

So, if you are an oyster lover, avoid eating them raw for your own good. Instead, cook them fully to avoid any kind of infections.