Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Virginia Oysters and Clams: River Closed to Harvesting

Oyster season on the East Coast had barely started when a Salmonella outbreak forced Virginia to shut down part of a river to shellfish harvesting. If you’ve been ordering raw oysters or clams this month, here’s what happened and why it matters.

What’s going on

Oysters and clams harvested from the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County, Virginia, have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak. At least five people in Pennsylvania got sick after eating the shellfish. In response, the Virginia Department of Health issued an emergency condemnation order (#010A) closing the affected downstream waters to harvesting through November 7, 2026, acting on a recommendation from the FDA.

The timing is rough: the closure came just eight days into Virginia’s 2026-2027 oyster season, which opened October 1. A second emergency closure (#005-083B) was issued October 9 for portions of Lower Machodoc Creek in Westmoreland County, in effect through October 29.

Why raw shellfish carries this risk

Oysters and clams are filter feeders, so they concentrate whatever is in the water, including bacteria like Salmonella. Cooking kills it, but raw on the half shell doesn’t get that safety step. Salmonella usually brings on diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps within a day or so, and it can hit harder in young kids, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system. As health officials note, salmonellosis can mimic other illnesses, so specific testing is needed to confirm it.

What to do

If you have oysters or clams at home and aren’t sure where they were harvested, ask your fishmonger or check the shellfish tag, which lists the harvest area and date. Restaurants are required to keep those tags too. If you ate raw shellfish recently and developed Salmonella symptoms, see a doctor and mention the possible exposure so they can test for it.

Still craving that briny bite?

You don’t have to swear off shellfish. Buy from a trusted source that can tell you the harvest area, steer clear of the closed Virginia waters for now, and when in doubt, cook them. Steamed clams or baked, broiled, or grilled oysters with a little garlic butter are a genuinely good trade when raw isn’t worth the gamble.

- Claire Monroe