ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Heads up, Florida restaurant-goers! The Food and Drug Administration is advising restaurants and retailers in Florida not to serve oysters imported from a Canada-based company.
It says these oysters may be contaminated with salmonella and E. coli.
The possibly contaminated oysters were harvested on Tuesday, Oct. 10, by Future Seafoods, Inc. in Prince Edward Island, Canada. In addition to Florida, the FDA says those oysters were reportedly sold to importers in Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Food inspectors reportedly warned the FDA about the contaminated oysters on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
If eaten raw, oysters contaminated with salmonella and E. coli could potentially make a person sick, even though the oysters may look, smell and taste normal.
E. coli infections typically show recognizable symptoms within a few days of eating the tainted food. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms range widely in severity depending on what strain of bacteria is causing the infection. Those symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. However, some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to potentially deadly conditions like high blood pressure and kidney failure.
Symptoms of salmonella infections can also vary widely. According to the CDC, they typically show up 12-72 hours after consuming contaminated food or drink. While people infected by salmonella can often recover on their own within four to seven days, more severe cases can happen. People with the infection often develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, but more severe cases can lead to high fever, aches, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases even death.
The FDA said it will continue to monitor Canada's investigations into how the oysters became contaminated. Future Seafoods, Inc. has not yet initiated a recall.
