The Food and Drug Administration is continuing to warn consumers not to eat raw oysters from Galveston Bay, Texas, which are under a nationwide recall because they may contain harmful levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring marine bacterium which can cause serious gastrointestinal illness. FDA advises consumers to cook oysters from Galveston Bay or any unknown location to reduce the risk of illness.
Thorough cooking kills the organism and prevents infection.
Consumers can check the source of oysters they purchase from the tags that accompany shell stock or they can ask their retailer. If consumers are holding any raw oysters of unknown origin, they should not eat them unless thoroughly cooked. Vibrio parahaemolyticus occurs naturally in marine coastal waters and usually can be found in raw oysters at levels that do not cause health problems. However, higher levels of the bacterium in oysters, often caused by warm, high saline waters, can cause illness. Symptoms of infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever and vomiting.