More than 80 people attending the annual Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants event got sick with potential norovirus after eating Canadian oysters.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed to the Los Angeles Times Thursday that the attendees became sick at the Dec. 3 event and suffered from diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and nausea afterward. The mass illness is being investigated as a possible outbreak of norovirus.
Santa Monica Seafood, a sponsor of the event, got the oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters in British Columbia and supplied them to one of the featured restaurants at the event, LA Times spokesperson Hillary Manning said.
“There is no evidence to suggest mishandling at any point in the supply chain, including by Santa Monica Seafood or any of the restaurants participating in the LA Times event,” Santa Monica Seafood told ABC News.
Los Angeles County health officials this week issued a recall of Fanny Bay Select and Fanny Bay XS oysters with a packaging date of Nov. 25 or later, citing the possibility of a norovirus infection. The oysters served at the Dec. 3 event came from the recalled group, according to the Los Angeles Times.
One attendee, Mark Kapczynski, told local food news site L.A. Taco that he started feeling sick the day after the event.
“It was super painful. I got home from the work thing… and I just collapsed in my house,” he said.
Fanny Bay Xsmall oysters harvested on Nov. 22, which were also marketed under the name Royal Miyagi, were also subject to the recall.
The Food and Drug Administration issued its own recall Thursday for British Columbia-harvested oysters caught between Dec. 1 and Dec. 9.
The recalled oysters were sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania under the Fanny Bay, Royal Miyagi and Buckley Bay names.
