by Larry Chowning –
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) called an emergency shellfish closure from December 26 through January 8 on oyster grounds in waters in the Rappahannock River surrounding Parrott Island, including Locklies and Mill creeks in Topping and Wake.
VDH officials stated in a press release, “This closure is a result of notification of a norovirus outbreak in Colorado that has been epidemiologically linked to shellfish harvested from this area.”
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is spread by consuming contaminated food or water, having direct contact with an infected person and touching contaminated surfaces. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), oysters are a common carrier of the norovirus.
The virus gets into oysters when bivalves are exposed to untreated human sewage. Shellfish filter seawater through their bodies to get food. Norovirus particles that are in the water accumulate in the shellfish.
Humans can get the virus when they eat raw oysters. The virus can be killed by cooking. CDCP recommends cooking shellfish until the food reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit or 63 degrees celsius.
The area condemned starts at the Robert O. Norris Bridge at Topping, extends east past Parrott Island in the Rappahannock River, and continues to the mouth of Mill Creek. The area also includes all the waters in Roane Cove, Locklies Creek and Mill Creek.
