Los Angeles health officials are investigating a norovirus outbreak that sickened around 80 people after they ate raw oysters at an event showcasing the city’s best restaurants. The event, hosted by the Los Angeles Times, took place on Dec. 3 at the Hollywood Palladium. The recalled oysters, Fanny Bay Select and Fanny Bay XS, were harvested in British Columbia. The FDA has warned against serving or selling oysters harvested in certain parts of British Columbia due to potential norovirus contamination. Norovirus causes vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, body aches, and fever, with symptoms appearing 12 to 48 hours after exposure. The virus can be absorbed by shellfish when sewage enters the water they live in. The Los Angeles County health department is continuing to investigate the outbreak. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Times stated that a Santa Monica shellfish company sourced the oysters and provided them to one of the restaurants, emphasizing that they take food safety seriously. The 101 Best Restaurants List, created by the newspaper’s restaurant critic Jonathan Gold in 2014, continues to be a popular event despite Gold’s passing in 2018.
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More than 80 people fall ill after consuming raw oysters at a Los Angeles restaurant expo.
