Health · Public Health & Disease · 1 hr ago
Virginia closes shellfish harvesting area after Salmonella outbreak
Virginia closed oyster and clam harvesting in the Little Wicomico River after health officials linked shellfish from its waters to a Salmonella outbreak in Pennsylvania.
At least five people in Pennsylvania have become ill.
The closure began October 9 and is set to last through November 7, while Virginia tests shellfish from the area.
The ban covers oysters and clams, but not crabs or finfish, and does not affect drinking water.
A separate temporary shellfish closure in nearby Lower Machodoc Creek is in place through October 29.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and can lead to more serious illness, especially in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Harvesting, storing or transporting shellfish from the closed areas is illegal without a special permit.
Virginia closed shellfish harvesting in the Little Wicomico River after an outbreak of Salmonella in Pennsylvania was linked to shellfish harvested there.
At least five people in Pennsylvania have fallen ill, according to the report.
The closure began on October 9 and is scheduled to remain in effect through November 7.
It covers oysters and clams but not crabs or finfish.
Virginia health officials are testing shellfish from the implicated area.
- Who
- Virginia health officials closed the harvesting area after a Salmonella outbreak sickened at least five people in Pennsylvania.
- What
- Harvesting oysters and clams was prohibited in the affected waters.
- When
- The closure began October 9 and is scheduled to last through November 7.
- Where
- The Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County, Virginia.
- Why
- The Pennsylvania outbreak was epidemiologically linked to shellfish harvested from the area.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Virginia closed shellfish harvesting in the Little Wicomico River.
A separate emergency closure temporarily barred harvesting in portions of Lower Machodoc Creek through October 29.
The Daily Mail reported that the Pennsylvania outbreak had sickened at least five people and was linked to shellfish from the Little Wicomico River.
- Affected river
- Little Wicomico River
- County
- Northumberland County, Virginia
- Closure began
- October 9
- Scheduled end
- November 7
- Reported illnesses
- At least five people in Pennsylvania
- Harvesting covered
- Oysters and clams; not crabs or finfish
What people are saying
Effective October 9, out of an abundance of caution... VDH announced that the waters in the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County are closed to the harvesting of oysters and clams due to a link to a Salmonella outbreak in Pennsylvania.