FDA warns consumers not to eat shellfish from Nassau County, NY’s Oyster Bay Harbor

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to eat raw or partially cooked shellfish harvested from New York’s Oyster Bay Harbor because they have been linked to cases of foodborne illness in several states.

The agency says oysters and clams from the Long Island harbour may be contaminated with bacteria that cause diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms. Consumers should check the tags on their shellfish to identify where they were harvested. If they were harvested in the harbour on or after June 1, consumers should throw them away.

New York regulators closed the Nassau County, N.Y., site to shellfish harvesters July 13.

Shellfish from the area were distributed to several states including: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.