Norovirus Outbreak Occurs In Minnesota

A new virus outbreak has just occurred in the state of Minnesota.

Minnesota health officials have just announced that 29 residents of Minnesota have tested positive for the norovirus after eating oysters at a restaurant.

The 29 people all ate oysters at the Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, and experienced nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after contracting the virus.

According to health officials investigating the outbreak, the oysters were originally from Canada.

The Minnesota Department of Health says there is high norovirus activity in the state, and most of the cases are connected to the oysters. https://t.co/Tx2cGW5S13

— KDKA (@KDKA) April 2, 2022

Outbreaks of norovirus, the bug responsible for the stomach flu, have been on the rise since January, CDC reports. https://t.co/DwSLOEhHrn

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 2, 2022

CBS News had more details to share on the Outbreak:

Health officials say 29 Minnesotans recently suffered from norovirus after eating oysters at a restaurant, CBS Minnesota reports.

They fell ill after eating the raw oysters at Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale on March 20. The restaurant notified public health authorities and has since stopped serving the oysters, according to officials.

The Stellar Bay Gold oysters had originated from Deep Bay 14-8 in British Columbia, and were harvested on March 10. Public health agencies are encouraging people to check shellstock tags and discard oysters from the particular harvest.

Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The Minnesota Department of Health says there is high norovirus activity in the state, and most of the cases are connected to the oysters.

“People with norovirus can spread it to others even after symptoms stop,” said MDH Epidemiologist Supervisor Senior Carlota Medus.

Besides Minnesota, there’s also an outbreak currently in California.

At least 34 people statewide have contracted norovirus in the past few weeks in California after eating raw oysters harvested in British Columbia, Canada, state health officials said Saturday. https://t.co/flD6ABkxH3

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 3, 2022

ABC 7 News had more details to share on the California outbreak:

At least 34 people statewide have contracted norovirus in the past few weeks in California after eating raw oysters harvested in British Columbia, Canada, state health officials said Saturday.

The state department of health issued a warning not to eat raw oysters imported from British Columbia where officials have closed multiple growing regions for sanitary contamination.

In California, people who ate oysters at nine restaurants throughout the state between March 11 and March 19 reported getting ill. Illnesses associated with oysters from British Columbia have also been reported in other U.S. states, the department said.

Despite issuing multiple recalls of oysters from British Columbia, the health department said it has continued receiving reports of people getting ill. It advised restaurants and retailers to check their inventory and shellfish tags to ensure that potentially contaminated raw oysters are not available for purchase, and to discard any leftover contaminated oysters.

As election season gets closer and closer expect random virus outbreaks to occur out of nowhere.