Gastroenteritis in Canada
18 Apr 2018
Media reported
a total of 126 cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to oyster consumption in three provinces: British Columbia (92), Alberta (9), and Ontario (25). No deaths have been reported. Individuals became ill between mid-March and early April 2018.
Advice for Travellers
All travellers should be advised on practicing good food and water hygiene.
Advice for Travellers
All travellers should be advised on practicing good food and water hygiene as a matter of routine.
Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a Public Health Notice with specific advice on avoiding risk from contaminsated oysters, being:
- Ensure oysters are fully cooked before consuming them. Lightly cooking oysters does not kill norovirus. Oysters need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 90° Celsius (194° Fahrenheit) for a minimum of 90 seconds in order to kill norovirus.
- Discard any oysters that did not open while cooking.
- Eat oysters right away after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
- Always keep raw and cooked oysters separate to avoid cross-contamination.
- Do not use the same plate or utensils for raw and cooked shellfish, and wash counters and utensils with soap and warm water after preparation.
- Wash your hands well with soap before and after handling any food. Be sure to clean and sanitize cutting boards, counters, knives and other utensils after preparing raw foods