Shell Shocked

Many people enjoy eating raw oysters, and raw oyster bars are popping up at some of the trendiest restaurants in some of our biggest cities. But eating raw oysters and other undercooked seafood can put you at risk of infections. The illnesses of most concern from eating raw or undercooked oysters or clams are Vibrio infection, norovirus infection, and hepatitis A. Vibrio naturally live in certain coastal waters and because oysters feed by filtering water, Vibrio can concentrate inside oysters and their tissues. If you eat raw or undercooked oysters, Vibrio and other germs that might be in the oysters can make you sick.

Most infections from oysters result in only diarrhea and vomiting but some infections from oysters, such as those caused by Vibrio can be severe. Many people with Vibrio infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care. Here are some key facts to remember:

1. You cannot tell if an oyster is bad by looking at it. An oyster that contains harmful germs doesn’t look, smell, or even taste different from any other oyster.
2. You can get sick from eating oysters during any month of the year. Although most Vibrio infections occur during warmer months of the year, infections have been reported year-round and the old adage of not eating oysters in months that have an “R” in it does not hold any truth.
3. The way to kill harmful germs in oysters is to cook them properly. Hot sauce, lemon juice and mignonette do not kill Vibrio. Drinking alcohol while eating oysters doesn’t kill Vibrio either. Cooking (145° F) oysters properly kills harmful germs that might be in the oyster.

Although there are certain people who should always avoid oysters unless they are properly cooked which include the elderly, young children under the age of 6 years, pregnant and lactating women, those on consistent medications, and those with a compromised immune system. For all else, while the risk of getting infected with bacteria from them is never zero, it might be lower during colder months when sea waters are colder, and bacteria have less opportunity to grow.