HOUMA State health officials say theyre still investigating about three dozen reports of people falling ill after eating Louisiana oysters. An outbreak of a stomach virus carried by the shellfish triggered the closure of oyster beds in Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes over the past two weeks.
Its the largest oyster-harvesting closure in nearly a decade, officials said.
We put out a billion servings per year, and there was a break in our safety net, said Mike Voisin, a member of the states Oyster Task Force and owner of Motivatit Seafood, an oyster-processing company in Houma.
Norovirus is a common virus that causes a one- to two-day stomach illness with fever, chills, aches, nausea and diarrhea. The virus is highly contagious and can be carried by oysters as well as passed from person to person.
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