VANCOUVER ISLAND

Shellfish harvesting area near Campbell River closed after norovirus detected

The Canadian Press Published Friday, December 30, 2016 10:13AM PST

An oyster is displayed in its shell just before being snacked-on minutes after being collected from a bed where it was growing Friday, May 1, 2015, in Willapa Bay near Tokeland, Wash. (AP / Elaine Thompson)

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A second shellfish harvesting area off Vancouver Island has been shutdown by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The department has ordered a closure of the Subtle Islands, east of Campbell River, after oysters from the region tested positive for norovirus.

Part of Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of the Island was also closed to shellfish harvesting earlier this month after raw oysters sickened more than 100 people in Tofino.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority says it is currently investigating more than 20 other reports of possible norovirus illnesses linked to raw shellfish and reminds everyone to fully cook oysters before eating them.