FDA Warns Against Oyster Bay Shellfish

The Food and Drug Administration placed an alert on shellfish harvested in Oyster Bay Harbor after several people reported symptoms found to be from a bacterial illness.

FDA officials say that shellfish harvested in Oyster Bay Harbor have been linked to cases of the bacterial illness, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, typically characterized by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The FDA said symptoms can take anywhere from a few hours to five days to begin after eating uncooked fish.

The FDA is warning consumers on Long Island as well as several states across the northeast and into the midwest should check the tags on the fish they buy. Oysters and clams from Oyster Bay Harbor and harvested after July 1 should be avoided or thrown away.

Meanwhile, effective July 13, harvesting in Oyster Bay Harbor has halted from the Cove Neck peninsula in Oyster Bay Harbor into West Harbor and Mill Neck Creek. The closure will remain in effect until samples taken from the harbor no longer show signs of contamination.

The FDA has not put a warning on other types of fish from Oyster Bay Harbor.