BALTIMORE- The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is advising consumers against eating fresh, frozen, or processed Korean molluscan shellfish due to possible norovirus contamination.
According to the DHMH, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently evaluated the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program and determined that any Korean molluscan shellfish shipped to the U.S. before May 1 fail to meet FDA sanitation requirements.
The DHMH said shellfish harvested from Korean waters may have been exposed to human fecal waste due to inadequate sanitation controls and could be contaminated with norovirus, a gastrointestinal infection that can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Molluscan shellfish included in the advisory are oysters, clams, and mussels, whole and roe-on scallops, either shucked or in the shell, whole or in part. The DHMH said any product made with Korean molluscan shellfish is considered adulterated under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The DHMH advises consumers to not purchase Korean molluscan shellfish produced within the past three years and to contact their health care providers about concerning symptoms. DHMH officials said they are working with distributors and local health agencies to ensure that these products are removed from store shelves.
There are no known recent cases of illness in Maryland related to Korean shellfish, according to the DHMH.
For more information:
Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/MediaContacts/default.htm
