Hong Kong has decided to ban the import and sale of all raw oysters from British Columbia, Canada, after the province announced that a batch had been contaminated with bacteria.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong announced yesterday that oysters harvested on or before Aug. 18 in the Canadian province are banned with immediate effect.
Yesterday, Canada notified Hong Kong about the detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and abdominal pain, and more severe symptoms in children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.
Traders have been advised to stop selling the product, while members of the public are urged to throw their extravagant purchase in the bin. If you’ve bought some oysters but don’t know their origin, the CFS suggests you bin them anyway “for the sake of prudence”.
Anyone who’s consumed oysters recently and feels a bit iffy should panic dramatically and then seek medical attention.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
