GALVESTON, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of southeastern Galveston Bay after reports of stomach issues among people who ate oysters from those waters.
“Last couple of days, we’ve gotten reports of a few dozen gastrointestinal illnesses in people who ate oysters from that area," DHSH spokesman Chris Van Deusen said.
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.
No hospitalizations have been reported at this time, 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.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced on Twitter that the county has instructed restaurants to stop serving oysters from the impacted harvest area.
Christie's Seafood Houston owner George Christie said they've thrown out a bunch of oysters because of a recall.
“We’re taking steps to discard the product – if that means we don’t have oysters for a few days, a week – whatever it is, that’s what we do, we want to protect the public," Christie said.
DSHS closed the TX 1 area to harvesting on Dec. 8. Veteran oysterman Alex Gutierrez understands but said the timing is tough because other areas of Galveston Bay are also off limits right how.
“We’re struggling to pay the bills, we’re struggling to survive," Gutierrez said.
DSHS said their epidemiologists are working with local health departments to investigate cases of illness, and they will test water samples collected in the recall area to determine when it may safely reopen to oyster harvesting.
No other species of seafood is affected.