Nearly 50 Washington residents have taken ill after eating raw oysters from Puget Sound the Washington Department of Health has reported. The Health department has issued a warning to consumers to completely avoid eating raw shellfish.
Oysters that are properly cooked are safe for consumption. But raw oysters may be prone to bacteria that is found naturally in saltwater and proliferates in warm water. The state has temporarily closed the Totten and Eld inlets in South Sound and three other oyster-growing areas in Hood Canal. There may be more such closures of oyster-growing areas till the outbreak is contained.
