75 Sickened in Cape Cod Norovirus Outbreak From Tainted Shellfish

WELLFLEET, MA – Contaminated shellfish were blamed for causing a norovirus outbreak affecting at least 75 people on Cape Cod, state health officials announced Thursday. All shellfish beds in Wellfleet were closed as a precaution.

Most of those sickened ate raw shellfish like oysters at recent weddings and restaurants in the outer Cape region, officials said. A shellfish recall is in effect for any shellfish harvested on or after Sept. 26.

State health officials issued these recommendations for Wellfleet-area residents:

• Do not eat any shellfish from the affected areas if harvested or purchased on or after September 26, 2016. This includes oysters, hard-shell clams (“quahogs”), soft-shell clams (“steamers”), mussels and razor clams.
  
• If you are unsure where shellfish was harvested, contact the retailer or restaurant where the product was purchased.
  
• If you are experiencing symptoms of norovirus, or are caring for someone who is, practice good hand washing with warm, soapy water to prevent further spread of the illness.
  
• After episodes of vomiting or diarrhea, clean contaminated surfaces immediately with a bleach-based household cleaner and wash hands thoroughly afterwards. The virus is present in large numbers in both stool and vomitus.
  
• Contact your healthcare provider if you have more severe illness or if you think you may be dehydrated.

Norovirus is a "very unpleasant but brief illness," health officials said. The elderly, very young, and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for more serious illness from norovirus, which is easily spread from person-to-person and surface contact. Norovirus can cause dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, fever, chills, and muscle cramps.

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