Oysters, no thank you.
....Chances are that if you consume raw oysters you won’t become infected with Vibrio vulnificus. Such cases, fortunately, are quite rare. However, eating raw oysters can be like playing a slot machine where you won’t like what may come out if you hit the jackpot. Other pathogens can be present. For example earlier this year the FDA issued a norovirus warning about oysters harvested from British Columbia, Canada, (specifically the south and central parts of Baynes Sound), which shucked. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada there were 176 cases of oyster-related gastrointestinal illness between mid-March and mid-April 2018, including 137 in British Columbia, 14 in Alberta, and 25 in Ontario. The outbreak spread to the U.S. too, resulting in at least 100 cases in California. As I mentioned previously in Forbes, this gastrointestinal virus can cause quite severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in the 70% or more of those who are infected. So if you were looking for an aphrodisiac and accidentally ate a norovirus-tainted oyster, passion may not be the main thing that will be flowing.
Whether raw oysters can actually serve as an aphrodisiac is still up for debate, but that’s another question for another time. There are plenty of other claims out there about raw oysters that have absolutely no scientific basis. For example, hot sauce or alcohol ain’t going to kill pathogens like Vibrio or norovirus. Avoiding oysters from polluted waters is not going to prevent you from getting sick, although seeking oysters from polluted waters is not going to be better. You can’t always tell if an oyster is safe. Oysters may look perfectly normal but still have microbes lurking in them. And avoiding oysters in months that don’t have the letter “r” (which corresponds to the warmer summer months) won’t really help.
The best way to prevent disease from raw oysters is to not eat raw oysters and cook them instead. Sure, many people eat raw oysters each year without getting sick. Sure, if you are otherwise healthy, you may survive an infection from raw oysters without any lasting effects. But there is the chance that you could suffer longer-term consequences and potentially even die, especially if you have liver disease, diabetes or any condition that may weaken your immune system. Is it worth the risk?
I love raw oysters but quit eating them about 10 years ago. I don’t believe it’s worth the risk.
Many now are what they call “farm raised” and I believe they’re safer than what they used to be. I believe the farm raised are harvested in baskets in open waters where they have a pretty good flow of water but it’s still too risky for me.