Several cases of food contamination have been reported. Shellfish infection may have occurred during a major rain event in mid-December.
The harvest and sale of mussels, oysters and clams from the Etang de Thau are prohibited for an indefinite period, due to contamination with norovirus, responsible for gastroenteritis, the prefecture of Herault.
“Following several declared cases of collective food poisoning due to the consumption of oysters from the Thau pond, analyzes of the shellfish have demonstrated the presence of norovirus”, explained the prefecture in a press release. , on the eve of New Year’s Eve.
An episode of “intense” rain on December 15
She believes that the contamination may have taken place during a “particularly intense” rain episode on December 15. The shellfish collected from this date in the basin of approximately 7000 hectares located near Sète cannot therefore be sold.
The measure will be lifted “as soon as the health security conditions are met for a reopening of the production areas”, specified the prefecture.
People who have already bought clams, oysters or mussels harvested during this period from the Thau pond are invited to bring them back to the point of sale and not to eat them.
10% of national oyster production
Norovirus is a “very resistant” virus which is responsible for most cases of acute gastroenteritis, according to the National Food Safety Agency (Anses). Symptoms usually appear within six to 48 hours after consumption.
This is the third ban of its kind this year on the pond, which is the largest shellfish area in the Mediterranean, with 10% of national oyster production and some 3,000 jobs.
In January and then between late October and early December, the marketing of several species of shellfish was banned due to the presence of toxins. The oysters had nevertheless been spared.
