THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 16, 1997 TAG: 9701160239
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
LENGTH: 42 lines
Sales of oysters are brisk in Hampton Roads, despite a recall of mollusks from some Louisiana beds, linked last week to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in several states.
No illnesses have been reported in Virginia, said Robert Croonenberghs, director of the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Shellfish Sanitation.
But on Monday, New York, Indiana and New Mexico were added to the list of states where shipments are being recalled.
More than 150 people have been reported ill since late December, federal officials said. Oysters from eight Louisiana beds were removed from markets on Jan. 6.
The beds are: Black Bay, Lake Machias, Lake Fortuna, California Bay, Bay Crabe, Bay Gardene, American Bay and Bay Lafourche. Oysters harvested in these areas on or after Dec. 23 should be thrown out, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The suspected culprit is the Norwalk (or Norwalk-like) virus, Croonenberghs said. Symptoms include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and last for 24 to 72 hours. They generally are not life-threatening, he said.
Cooking the oysters may reduce the threat of illness, but does not eliminate it, he said.
Several vendors in Hampton Roads said consumers are asking where the oysters come from but are still buying them.
Nonetheless, some consumers are concerned, said Frank Moncrief, owner of Ocean Seafood Market in Virginia Beach.
``My people want to know where their oysters come from,'' he said.
Oysters are shipped with tags indicating harvest date and location, so consumers can ask where a product was harvested and a vendor can show them, Moncrief said.
Since the recall, most oysters sold in Hampton Roads are from the Eastern Shore or Texas, local vendors said. Some are from unaffected Louisiana beds.
The recall also affects Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
KEYWORDS: OYSTER RECALL