The Food and Drug Administration is recalling oysters and clams that were harvested in Drayton Harbor, Washington between Feb. 13 and March 3 because they may be contaminated with norovirus.

The agency said Monday that potentially contaminated Manila clams were harvested by the Lummi Indian Business Council and shipped to retailers in Washington, Oregon, California and six other states. Potentially contaminated raw oysters were harvested by Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and distributed in Washington.

In a statement last week, Whatcom County said that several people fell ill after eating raw oysters harvested from Drayton Harbor, which is near the Canadian border.

Tom Kunesh, Whatcom County food safety program supervisor, said the Drayton County Oyster Company was quick to respond to the reports.

“The company has been proactive in discontinuing the sale of potentially impacted oysters from their restaurant and retail store,” he said in a statement.

Washington state’s recall notice issued last week said that the distributors involved had contacted retail establishments and it was likely all shellfish had been consumed.

Teresa N. Taylor, interim director of the Office of Economic Policy with the Lummi Indian Business Council, said the Lummi Nation takes safety and stewardship of shellfish harvesting very seriously. She said it closely monitors harvest areas and issues warnings in partnership with other agencies.

“Shellfish harvesting is both an important economic activity and a cultural tradition for our Lummi people,” she said. “While closures like the one in Drayton Harbor can impact harvesters and businesses, these precautionary steps help ensure the long-term health of the resource and maintain public confidence in the safety of our shellfish.”

According to its website, the majority of Lummi shellfish are harvested from the Lummi Reservation, rather than offsite at places like at Drayton Harbor.

Shellfish contaminated with norovirus can cause severe illness, especially in people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea, according to the FDA. Symptoms typically appear within 12 to 48 hours of eating contaminated food and most people improve within 1-3 days.

The Washington State Department of Health has issued a closure for all recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting in Drayton Harbor through at least March 24.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/10/shellfish-recalled-oregon-washington-possible-norovirus-contamination/