Salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters sickens 64 people, including at least 1 on Long Island, CDC says

A salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters has sickened seven New Yorkers, including at least one person on Long Island, and more than 60 others nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One Nassau resident was sickened but not hospitalized due to the outbreak, county Health Department spokesperson Alyssa Zohrabian told Newsday via text.

A spokesperson for the Suffolk health department did not immediately respond to Newsday’s inquiries about whether anyone in the county has fallen ill.

Across 22 states, 64 people were sickened by the salmonella strain as of Tuesday, according to a map on the CDC's website. Twenty of those infected were hospitalized, which represents "a higher rate than expected when compared to other Salmonella outbreaks linked to oysters," the CDC said in a news release issued Tuesday. No deaths have been reported.

No recall has been issued related to the outbreak, the CDC said.

Salmonella sickness generally lasts from four to seven days and usually does not require treatment, according to the CDC. Symptoms including cramps, diarrhea and fever can present anywhere from six hours to six days after exposure to the bacteria. Adults aged 65 and older, children under 5 and anyone with a compromised immune system are most vulnerable to severe illness that could require hospitalization.

While the CDC is not urging seafood lovers to avoid oysters due to the outbreak, the agency advises people to cook them, as "raw oysters can be contaminated with germs at any time of year," according to the CDC's website. There are no visible indications that a raw oyster might be infected.

Oysters can be boiled or steamed in their shells and consumed only if the cooking process causes the shells to open, according to the CDC’s website. They can be boiled until they open or added to a boiling steamer and cooked for four to nine minutes

Oysters already out of their shells can be cooked in a variety of ways until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees sustained for at least 15 seconds, the CDC said. Seafood cooks can boil them for at least three minutes, broil them three inches from heat for three minutes, oil-fry them at 375 degrees for at least three minutes or bake them at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

Neither lemon nor hot sauce will eradicate germs on infected seafood, the CDC said.

The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are seeking a common source of the infected oysters, according to the CDC’s news release. Local and state health officials are determining the foods infected individuals ate during the week before their illness.

"Knowing the contributing factors and how to prevent foodborne illness can stop an outbreak and prevent future illnesses," Cadence Acquaviva, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Health, said in a statement e-mailed to Newsday. "The Department always recommends consuming cooked [not raw] oysters to prevent such outbreaks."

The seven cases across the state include one in New York City, one in upstate New York and five in "the metropolitan area," according to Acquaviva. She could not immediately detail how many of the five metropolitan cases might involve Long Island residents.

Anyone experiencing vomiting with an inability to hold liquids, dehydration, diarrhea and a temperature above 102 degrees, more than three days of diarrhea or bloody diarrhea should immediately seek medical attention, the CDC said.