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Officials have identified 27 Salmonella Telelkebir illnesses across 12 states linked to oysters harvested from Virginia’s Little Wicomico River. Little Wicomico Oyster Company recalled oysters harvested from Sept. 18 through Oct. 8, 2026, and the affected river area has been closed to shellfish harvesting.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has identified 27 Salmonella Telelkebir illnesses across 12 states associated with oysters harvested from Virginia’s Little Wicomico River, prompting a recall and a temporary closure of the harvest area. Federal and state health officials are investigating the outbreak, and authorities advise restaurants, retailers and consumers not to serve, sell or eat the affected oysters.
The illnesses are part of a 27-case cluster under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and relevant state authorities. Pennsylvania identified the cases as associated with oysters harvested from the Little Wicomico River and Little Wicomico River, Lower, by Little Wicomico Oyster Company, identified by the shellfish tag number VA-1421-SP. The report says that patients in the outbreak required hospitalization, but does not specify how many were hospitalized.
Little Wicomico Oyster Company recalled oysters harvested from Sept. 18 through Oct. 8, 2026, and contacted its customers. The company has stopped harvesting from the affected area and is cooperating with public health officials. Virginia’s health department temporarily closed the Little Wicomico River to shellfish harvesting effective Oct. 9.
The company’s oysters were distributed to restaurants and retailers in 17 named jurisdictions: California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. They may also have been distributed further. The FDA advises food businesses to discard recalled product or contact their distributor to arrange its destruction.
Where the Recall Reaches
The case count and distribution list mean the warning extends beyond the harvest site in Virginia: recalled oysters may have reached food businesses in multiple states and the District of Columbia, and could have moved onward through distribution. Restaurants and retailers should check product records and shellfish tags rather than assume oysters are safe because they look or smell normal.
Salmonella-contaminated food may not appear spoiled, according to the FDA information cited in the report. People who ate the recalled oysters and develop symptoms should seek medical care and tell their clinician about the possible exposure. Infants, older adults, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious illness.
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Recall and Harvest Closure Timeline
The oysters at issue were harvested between Sept. 18 and Oct. 8, 2026. Virginia temporarily closed the Little Wicomico River to shellfish harvesting on Oct. 9, and the case count was reported as of Oct. 19. The company has halted harvesting in the affected area and contacted customers, according to the source report.
The FDA said it was initially notified of the Salmonella Telelkebir outbreak by the CDC and is working with the CDC and state authorities. The source identifies the oysters and harvest area associated with the illnesses, but does not provide a suspected contamination mechanism or say whether testing has confirmed the bacteria in a specific oyster sample.
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Details Still Under Investigation
Authorities have reported 27 illnesses across 12 states, but the source material does not give the states where patients live, when they became ill, their ages, or the number hospitalized. It also does not report whether any deaths have occurred. The distribution list for the oysters is broader than the states with identified patients, and the report does not say whether investigators have traced every shipment or identified additional cases.
The source links the illnesses to oysters harvested in the specified river areas, but does not describe laboratory results from oyster samples or explain how the oysters may have become contaminated. The case count is a snapshot dated Oct. 19, not a final total; the investigation may identify more illnesses or clarify the scale of distribution.
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Investigators Trace Oyster Shipments
The CDC, FDA and relevant state authorities are continuing their investigation, while Virginia’s temporary closure of the affected harvest area and the company’s pause in harvesting remain part of the response described in the report. The next updates may clarify the number of hospitalizations, the states affected and whether investigators have confirmed contamination in product samples.
Restaurants and retailers should check inventory and supplier records for the company name, tag number and harvest dates, then discard covered oysters or work with distributors on destruction. Consumers should not eat oysters that match the recall. Anyone who ate the recalled product and develops diarrhea, abdominal cramps or fever should seek medical advice and mention the possible Salmonella exposure. Symptoms can begin within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food, according to the health information in the report.
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Key Questions
Which oysters are included in the recall?
The recall covers oysters from Little Wicomico Oyster Company (VA-1421-SP) harvested from the Little Wicomico River between Sept. 18 and Oct. 8, 2026.
How many illnesses have been reported, and where?
As of Oct. 19, 2026, officials had identified 27 Salmonella Telelkebir illnesses across 12 states. The source report does not name the states where those patients live.
What should restaurants and retailers do with recalled oysters?
They should not serve or sell the oysters. The FDA advises businesses to throw them away or contact their distributor to arrange destruction.
What symptoms should people watch for?
Salmonella symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, usually beginning 12 to 72 hours after exposure. People who ate the recalled oysters and become ill should seek medical care and mention the possible exposure.
Is the Little Wicomico River still closed to harvesting?
Virginia’s health department temporarily closed the river to shellfish harvesting effective Oct. 9, 2026. The source report does not say when the closure will end.
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