Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

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Oysters recalled from section of Plaquemines Parish waters after group gets sick

By Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune

March 24, 2010, 6:32PM

The state Department of Health and Hospitals has closed a large section of east bank Plaquemines Parish waters to oyster fishing through at least mid-April, after 11 people in Mississippi became sick after eating oysters believed to be traced to that area.

The state has also issued a recall of any oysters harvested from that area since March 6, meaning wholesalers must review their records and contact any restaurants, brokers or other buyers who bought oysters from those waters. Under Food and Drug Administration and state health guidelines, oyster dealers are required to have a recall plan in effect.

Processors are required to keep logs of where oysters are sold, and what waters they originated from in the event of a food borne illness outbreak.

According to DHH, 11 people became sick in Mississippi as a result of norovirus after eating oysters at a seafood conference March 10. Norovirus causes what's normally referred to as "stomach flu," producing nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and sometimes fevers and chills.

Oysters become contaminated with norovirus when there is a presence of fecal coliform in the water, often the result of sewage run-off. Norovirus is also a highly contagious virus that can be passed from one person to another, so someone handling oysters that has norovirus could potentially spread the disease.

The closure went into effect Wednesday evening. Dealers across the state are now responsible for destroying any oysters from that section of Plaquemines waters and telling anyone who bought those oysters to destroy them.

Olivia Watkins, a spokeswoman for DHH, said the agency has been in touch with oyster dealers and departments of agriculture in other states where Louisiana oysters have been sold this month. Louisiana is the single largest producer of oysters in the United States, meaning many parts of the country could be impacted.

"We make sure they get all of the product off the shelves and get it destroyed and get it taken care of as quickly as possible," she said.

The closure in Plaquemines, which encompasses much of Black Bay and Breton Sound, is one of the largest area closures in recent years, aside from precautionary closures before and after hurricanes or tropical storms.

In January DHH closed another, smaller set of oyster beds in Calcasieu Lake, in the western part of the state.
/.../

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/oysters_recalled_from_section.html

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>NEWS RELEASE</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Contact: Bureau of Media & Communications; (225) 342-1881 or (225) 342-1463</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

BATON ROUGE?The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Wednesday closed a Plaquemines Parish molluscan shellfish harvesting area. DHH also ordered a recall of all oysters harvested from the area since March 6, including shucked, frozen, breaded and post-harvest processed oysters, and oysters for the half shell market.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry signed the closure order when the Department was notified by the Mississippi State Department of Health that a Norovirus outbreak may have been caused by oysters harvested from Basin 4, Area 7. The closure takes effect at sundown Wednesday, March 24. Area 7 harvesting area is expected to be closed for at least 21 days.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Eleven people in Mississippi became ill with Norovirus after eating the Louisiana oysters at a seafood conference on March 10. One person was hospitalized, but was treated and released. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Norovirus is a virus that causes the ?stomach flu.? Effects of the virus usually begin 24-48 hours after exposure. Symptoms, which last for one to two days on average, can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Occasional symptoms may include low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. Norovirus can be contracted several ways, including by eating food or drinking liquids contaminated by infected food handlers. Outbreaks have occurred from eating undercooked oysters harvested from contaminated waters--cooking kills the virus.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
DHH has notified local oyster harvesters that work the affected areas, as well as the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/news.asp?Detail=1596

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2010
Media Inquiries: Rita Chappelle, 301-796-4672 or 240-753-8603, rita.chappelle@fda.hhs.gov
Trade Inquiries: Stephanie Kwisnek, 301-436-1856, stephanie.kwisnek@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

Public Health Agencies Collaborate to Prevent Further Illnesses from Norovirus Outbreak Associated with Oysters Recently Harvested from Area Near Port Sulphur, La.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with state health officials from Mississippi and Louisiana to notify consumers, food service operators and retailers nationwide about an outbreak of norovirus associated with oysters recently harvested from an area near Port Sulphur, La. known as Area 7. The oysters were sold or distributed nationwide.

Public health agencies are warning consumers not to purchase or eat oysters from the affected area and warning retailers and food-service operators not to sell or serve them. Louisiana?s Area 7 is in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The FDA was notified by state authorities that nearly a dozen consumers in Mississippi fell ill with norovirus after eating raw oysters from the affected area on March 10. Norovirus is a foodborne pathogen that can cause acute gastroenteritis in humans.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has recalled oysters harvested from Area 7 on March 6 through March 24, 2010. State health officials closed the area to harvesting on March 24 to protect the public health.

Public health officials are currently working to investigate potential sources of pollution that may have caused the area to become contaminated.

Consumers who are uncertain about the origin of oysters they have in their possession should contact the place of purchase to determine if the oysters are from the affected area. Retailers and food service operators can check the tag or labeling that should accompany all raw molluscan shellfish to verify their origin.

Eleven people reported becoming sick after eating raw oysters at a conference center in Jackson County, Miss. Test results by the Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed that the patients were infected with norovirus.

Symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people also have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness.

The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for one or two days.

People who have eaten raw oysters harvested from the affected area during the specified dates and have had symptoms of norovirus infection are encouraged to contact their health care professionals and local health departments.

People with weak immune systems, including those affected by AIDS, chronic alcohol abuse, liver, stomach or blood disorders, cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease and those taking certain medications for rheumatoid arthritis or cancer chemotherapy, should avoid raw oyster consumption altogether, regardless of where the oysters are harvested.

For more information on seafood safety, please visit:
www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html<SUP>1</SUP> or call FDA?s Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
For information on Norovirus, go to:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/norovirus.html<SUP>2</SUP>
For additional information on seafood, go to:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/types/seafood/index.html

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm206353.htm

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

3rd La. oyster closing in 8 days

Published: 11:43 a.m., Wednesday, March 31, 2010

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) ? For the third time in a week, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has closed an oyster harvesting area because of an outbreak of illness.

"Area 13," west of the Mississippi river in southern Jefferson and Lafourche parishes, was closed late Tuesday, the department said Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Olivia Watkins said people became ill after eating oysters
from that area at a wedding reception in New Orleans over the weekend.

Last Wednesday, the department announced that an area in Plaquemines Parish was being closed because of a norovirus outbreak in Mississippi. On

Thursday, part of St. Bernard parish waters were closed to mollusc harvest because of another outbreak.

Both of those areas are east of the Mississippi River and more than 60 miles from the area closed Tuesday.

Epidimiologists don't think any of the outbreaks are related to each other,
Watkins said Wednesday.

She said the first two outbreaks were both confirmed to be norovirus, which spreads easily and can cause one or two days of severe vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. Norovirus is suspected, but not confirmed, in the third outbreak. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after exposure.

Cooking kills the virus, but undercooked oysters can spread it.
___
On the Net:
Louisiana oyster harvesting areas:

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/maps/maps-214/2896.pdf

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/3rd-La-oyster-closing-in-8-days-429865.php

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>NEWS RELEASE</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Contact: Bureau of Media & Communications; (225) 342-1463 or (225) 342-1881
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Areas in Jefferson and Lafourche Parishes

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BATON ROUGE?The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals closed molluscan shellfish harvesting Area 13 Tuesday. Area 13 is west of the Mississippi river in southern Jefferson and Lafourche parishes. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry signed the closure order. This closure is taken as a precautionary measure due to a possible Norovirus outbreak that may have been caused by oysters harvested from Area 13. The closure took effect at sunset, Tuesday, March 30, 2010. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Norovirus is a virus that causes the ?stomach flu.? Effects of the virus usually begin 24-48 hours after exposure. Symptoms, which last for one to two days on average, can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Occasional symptoms may include low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. Norovirus can be contracted several ways, including by eating food or drinking liquids contaminated by infected food handlers. Outbreaks have occurred from eating undercooked oysters harvested from contaminated waters--cooking kills the virus.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
DHH has notified local oyster harvesters that work the affected areas, as well as the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

<o:p>http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/news.asp?ID=1&Detail=1597</o:p>

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

I've been reading about a new, (to me), technology called High Pressure Processing, (HPP), that's being used to treat oysters at a facility in WA state.

http://www.goosepoint.com/aboutFUP.html

It sounds good to me vs heat treatments or irradiation. (It's interesting that they mention using the technology in the production of bacterial vaccines, too.)

http://www.cals.vt.edu/news/pubs/inn...7/oysters.html

Raw Oysters Get a Squeeze

by Angela Correa de Yalowitz

High Pressure Processing (HPP) is a food processing method that uses pressure instead of heat to make foods safer, eliminating the majority of harmful bacteria while preserving the food’s natural nutrients, texture, taste, and appearance. The concept of HPP was developed more than 100 years ago, but it was only in the last 15 years that the technology became feasible as a safe technique for processing food....continued at link

There is a nice Iowa Public Television video here if you are interested. They interview a rep of the WA state oyster farm in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt1Mp1svyHM

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

Shutdown of Louisiana oyster grounds is largest in 10 years

By Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune

April 04, 2010, 8:00AM


After at least 38 people became sick after eating raw oysters during the past month, Louisiana's seafood industry is contending with the most widespread closures to state oyster grounds in a decade.

Three harvest areas in St. Bernard, Plaquemines and parts of Lafourche and Jefferson parishes have been closed to oyster fishing as a precaution in the past two weeks. But the root of the stomach flu outbreak remains a mystery to state health officials and those in the industry.

The disease, Norovirus, is a more common and much less serious oyster-related sickness than the bacterial vibrio vulnificus disease that prompted the Food and Drug Administration to flirt with restrictions on raw oysters last fall. But the symptoms of Norovirus - fever, chills, aches, nausea, and diarrhea that can last up to two days - are not to be underestimated.

"It's certainly not a bad virus, but it's one that gets everybody's attention," said Jimmy Guidry, state health officer with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

As of last week, 38 cases of Norovirus in Mississippi and the New Orleans area were tied to oysters from the three separate zones in Louisiana waters. Eleven people got sick near Pascagoula after eating oysters at a seafood-related conference at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; another 13 got sick at a wedding in New Orleans.

Although DHH has confirmed that everyone who was sick had eaten oysters, Guidry said it's still unclear whether the problem was due to contamination in the water where oysters were harvested or if someone handling them passed on the virus. Norovirus is highly contagious, and can be transferred from someone who has the virus onto the raw shellfish, or to another person through human contact.

That makes pinpointing the source of the disease particularly challenging. DHH has tested the water in the three zones for fecal coliform, often present in sewage and human waste, but found nothing. Sometimes the virus can get into the oysters if boats dump waste overboard in a harvest area.


Click to open graphic in new window.

Unlike vibrio vulnificus bacteria, which can be reduced through refrigeration or largely eliminated by post-harvest treatment methods, Norovirus in oysters is difficult to track or prevent.

The Plaquemines beds will remain closed through Thursday and the St. Bernard grounds through next week. The oyster grounds near Grand Isle in Lafourche and Jefferson parishes are still under investigation, because DHH officials believe the problem may be confined to one specific harvest area.
/.../

Read more at:

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/closing_of_oyster_grounds_is_l.html

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

Oyster, illness link studied
By AMY WOLD <!--Display story author's byline/credits, if provided in the content item -NGS, 02/07/08-->
Advocate staff writer <!--Display story pub date, related print page, and update timestamp, when any are are provided in the content item -NGS 02/08/08-->
Published: Apr 7, 2010 <!--Display related print page -NGS 02/08/08-->- Page: 12A

The state Department of Health and Hospitals is investigating additional reports from people who say they got sick after having eaten raw oysters.
DHH spokeswoman Olivia Watkins said department staff are looking into calls received Monday about possible illnesses, but there?s no definitive answer yet on whether those illnesses are a result of eating raw oysters.

Tuesday?s announcement is the continuation of an investigation started last month that resulted in the precautionary, temporary closure of three oyster-harvesting areas.

Norovirus causes ?stomach flu?-type symptoms that can last for a day or two and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, according to DHH.

?We know the virus comes from humans,? Dr. Jimmy Guidry, state health officer, told the Louisiana Oyster Task Force on Tuesday. ?The question is how does it get there (in the oysters).?

Water in three areas of the Louisiana coast have tested negative for fecal coliform, but that doesn?t mean it wasn?t there at some point, he said.

?The fecal coliform could be gone, but the virus will still be there,? Guidry said.

Rainy weather this fall and winter could have pushed more water into certain oyster beds and brought with it fecal coliform from sewers and septic systems, he said.

In addition, it?s unclear whether the oysters became infected with norovirus in the water or in the post-harvest handling and preparation for consumption, he said.

The virus is passed from person to person with exposure to fecal matter from someone who is ill, although the virus can be killed in oysters by fully cooking them, he said.

Al Sunseri, the task force member representing Louisiana Oyster Dealers, asked why the department can?t just test the oyster meat to see if the norovirus is found in the oyster itself.

Guidry said unless you get the oyster someone actually ate ? which is impossible ? you can?t really test the oysters for the virus.

The investigation, however, seems to point to the oysters as the cause of many of the illnesses. For example, a wedding in Mississippi had 250 guests and investigators talked to 37 people who attended. Of those people, the only ones who got symptoms of the virus were the ones who had eaten raw oysters, he said.

In an earlier interview, Guidry said the recent closures are unusual for Louisiana and in the past five years there have only been four oyster harvest area closures for norovirus and three of them were this year.

?As of right now, I?m not aware of any more closures,? Guidry told the task force. ?But I can?t say that there won?t be.?

The increase of illnesses this year seems to be part of a larger trend of more people getting ill from norovirus, Guidry said.

There is evidence that the norovirus is evolving so people no longer have an immunity to it, resulting in more illnesses around the world, he said.

The norovirus does well in colder waters, but should dissipate when the water warms up, Guidry said. Of course, that?s when the more serious vibrio vulnificus bacteria becomes more prevalent, he said.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/90062702.html?showAll=y&c=y

[Emily]

Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

From what you posted above

Unlike vibrio vulnificus bacteria, which can be reduced through refrigeration or largely eliminated by post-harvest treatment methods, Norovirus in oysters is difficult to track or prevent.

it looks like HPP wouldn't help with this.

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

Local beds closed as officials investigate outbreak



Matt Stamey/Staff

Francisco Ruiz (left) and Erik Aguilar load sacks of oysters from their boat onto a Motivatit Seafood truck south of Montegut Wednesday afternoon.

By Nikki Buskey
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 11:22 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 11:22 a.m.
( page all of 3 )

HOUMA ? State health officials say they?re still investigating about three dozen reports of people falling ill after eating Louisiana oysters. An outbreak of a stomach virus carried by the shellfish triggered the closure of oyster beds in Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes over the past two weeks.

It?s the largest oyster-harvesting closure in nearly a decade, officials said.

?We put out a billion servings per year, and there was a break in our safety net,? said Mike Voisin, a member of the state?s Oyster Task Force and owner of Motivatit Seafood, an oyster-processing company in Houma.

Norovirus is a common virus that causes a one- to two-day stomach illness with fever, chills, aches, nausea and diarrhea. The virus is highly contagious and can be carried by oysters as well as passed from person to person.

State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry urged residents not to overreact to the reports of an outbreak. While more isolated incidents of norovirus infections related to oysters have popped up and are being investigated by the state, the outbreak is small, he said.

?The number of sick is so small compared to the number of oysters consumed,? Guidry said.

As of Wednesday, 39 cases of norovirus in Mississippi and the New Orleans area were tied to oysters in three separate zones in Louisiana waters, including waters in Lafourche Parish near Grand Isle.

Eleven people got sick in Mississippi after eating oysters at a conference. A recall was issued for oysters harvested from the area of Plaquemines that produced the shellfish.

Fifteen people were sickened at a restaurant in New Orleans after eating raw oysters, and another 13 got sick at a wedding, Guidry said.

Oysters become contaminated with norovirus when there is a presence of fecal coliform bacteria in the water, often the result of sewage runoff.

The state Health Department as confirmed that everyone who was sick had eaten oysters, but Guidry said it?s unclear whether the problem was related to contamination in the water where oysters were harvested or if someone handling them passed on the virus. Cooking kills the virus.

Once beds are closed, they remain so for 21 days unless more outbreaks of norovirus are discovered. That?s about as long as it takes for an oyster to rid its system of contaminants, Guidry said.

The Plaquemines beds will remain closed through Thursday, and the St. Bernard grounds through next week. The oyster grounds near Grand Isle in Lafourche and Jefferson parishes are still under investigation because officials believe the problem may be confined to one specific harvest area.

Oysters are a $300 million annual business for Louisiana, and closures can mean ?millions of dollars a day? for the industry, Voisin said.

Wilbert Collins, an oyster harvester from south Lafourche, said with just three out of 30 harvest areas in the state closed, there are still plenty of places to get oysters. The biggest hit the industry takes when there?s a closure is to its reputation, he said.

Collins said people seem to fixate on outbreaks of food-borne illness related to oysters, though there are plenty of outbreaks linked to other foods.

?The publicity from this hurts the industry more than anything else,? he said. ?People hear on the news that someone got sick from eating oysters, and it makes them think twice about ordering.?

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20100408/ARTICLES/100409474/1212?p=all&tc=pgall

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

Oyster beds closed by norovirus to reopen

by The Associated Press
Posted on April 15, 2010 at 7:02 AM

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The state is reopening two oyster beds closed by a norovirus outbreak.

At sunrise Thursday, oyster harvest area 7 will reopen in Plaquemines Parish waters on the east side of the Mississippi River. Area 3 located in St. Bernard Parish waters will reopen at sunrise Friday.

Testing by the Department of Health and Hospitals has determined that the areas are once again suitable for harvest of oysters.

The beds were closed last month after an outbreak was linked to oysters from the areas.

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Oyster-beds-closed-by-norovirus-to-reopen-90927629.html

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

Back to News

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=108 rowSpan=3></TD><TD rowSpan=3></TD><TD align=middle>NEWS RELEASE</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Thursday, April 15, 2010
Contact: Bureau of Media & Communications; (225) 342-3816 or (225) 342-1463
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>CDC Confirms New Strain of Norovirus

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Strain leads to more outbreaks of disease, symptoms usually last only 24-48 hours

The CDC reports the new strain, like other norovirus strains, is transmitted person to person, and has been confirmed nationwide for about 50 percent of the recent norovirus outbreaks. In Louisiana, the strain has sickened dozens and forced the closure of some oyster harvest areas.

Because the strain is new, few people are immune to it causing more outbreaks.<S><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></S>
<o:p></o:p>

Norovirus outbreaks are common, and generally those infected recover within one to two days. Much like influenza, norovirus mutates easily, and new strains such as this are common. The CDC name for the new strain, GII.4 New Orleans, includes ?New Orleans? in the name because the first confirmed samples came from the Crescent City. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Norovirus symptoms usually begin to show 24 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus. Symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Sometimes people have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a general sense of tiredness. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

Noroviruses are found in the stool and vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways:

• By eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus,
• y touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth, and
• By having direct contact with another person who is infected (for example, when caring for someone with illness, or sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill). <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>
"People should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the toilet, before consuming food, and before preparing food,? said Dr. Jimmy Guidry, State Health Officer. ?If everybody did this, we could prevent a majority of the illness caused by these viruses."<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

You can decrease your chance of coming in contact with noroviruses by following these preventive steps:

• Frequently wash your hands, especially after toilet visits and changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.
• Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and fully cook oysters before eating them.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
• Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap).
  Flush or discard any vomitus and/or stool in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean.

<o:p></o:p>
Persons who are infected with norovirus should not prepare food while they have symptoms and for at least two to three days after they recover from their illness. Food that may have been contaminated by an ill person should be disposed of properly. Persons working in day-care centers or nursing homes should pay special attention to children or residents who have norovirus symptoms. This virus is very contagious and can spread rapidly throughout such environments.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

<o:p>http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/news.asp?Detail=1602</o:p>

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Re: Louisiana - DHH Closes Oyster Harvesting Area in Plaquemines Parish and Recalls Oysters

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=108 rowSpan=3></TD><TD rowSpan=3></TD><TD align=middle>NEWS RELEASE</TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Contact: Bureau of Media & Communications; (225) 342-3816 or (225) 342-18816
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>State Reopens Final Oyster Bed Closed due to Norovirus

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Baton Rouge ? The Department of Health and Hospitals will reopen oyster Harvest Area 13 at sunrise, Wednesday, April 21, 2010. DHH closed the area on March 30, 2010, due to a norovirus outbreak linked to oysters from the areas.
Area 13 is located in Lafourche and Jefferson parish waters. Testing by DHH has determined molluscan shellfish growing waters in harvest area 13 are suitable for harvesting of oysters. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
DHH will continue to monitor conditions in the shellfish growing areas. Water standards for oyster harvesting areas are set by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference and can be found at www.issc.org. DHH has the authority to open and close these waters under LSA-R.S. 40:5,3.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/news.asp?Detail=1605