RICHMOND, Va. — Health officials announced Thursday that a ban on shellfish harvesting in Upper Machodoc Creek in King George County has been extended because of elevated bacteria levels.
The news comes after shellfish harvesting wasbanned in the area because of the release of partially treated sewage last month.
Health department officials said shellfish, which include bivalve mollusks like oysters and clams, from impacted areas are not safe to eat because of "potential microbiological pollution hazards."
"The temporary emergency closure is effective February 10, 2022," officials with the Virginia Department of Health said. "The Division of Shellfish Safety will continue to work with the Department of Environmental Quality to monitor the wastewater treatment plant and water quality to determine when shellfish harvesting areas can be reopened."
Maps of the affected areas are postedon the Division of Shellfish Safety’s website.
Officials warned that eating shellfish from the closed areas could cause gastrointestinal illnesses like norovirus, hepatitis A and shigellosis.
Symptoms of norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness, include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain, according to the CDC. Those symptoms usually show up 12 to 48 hours after someone is exposed to the virus, officials said.
Officials noted crabs and fin fish in Upper Machodoc Creek are still safe to catch.
Shellfish farming in Virginia accounted for more than $53 million in 2018, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation and Outlook Report.
Those numbers break down to $38.8 million for clams and $14.5 million for oysters.
Additionally, Virginia ranks first in the U.S. for clam production and first on the East Coast for Eastern oyster production, according to the report.
