Key points
CDC, FDA, and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to raw oysters harvested by the Little Wicomico Oyster Company from the Little Wicomico River harvest area in Virginia. Recalled oysters should be past their shelf life, and oysters are not being harvested from the Little Wicomico River harvest area at this time.
Latest update: October 30, 2026
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Telelkebir infections.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that oysters harvested by the Little Wicomico Oyster Company from Little Wicomico River harvest area made people sick in this outbreak.
Epidemiologic Data
Cases
Total cases
28 (1 new)
States
13 (1 new)
Hospitalizations
5 (23 %) of 22 people with information available
Deaths
Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 29, 2026, to October 6, 2026. The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Demographics
Public health officials collect many different types of information from sick people, including their age, race, ethnicity, other demographics, and the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. This information provides clues to help investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
The table below has information about sick people in this outbreak ("n" is the number of people with information available for each demographic).
Age
(n=27)
Range from 1 to 86 years
Median age of 44
Sex
(n=28)
39% female
61% male
Race
(n=18)
83% White
11% African American/Black
6% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Ethnicity
(n=18)
94% non-Hispanic
6% Hispanic
Food exposure
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 14 people interviewed, 11 (79%) reported eating raw oysters. This percentage is significantly higher than the 1.6% of respondents who reported eating raw oysters in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating raw oysters.
Laboratory and Traceback Data
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak may have gotten sick from the same food.
Based on WGS analysis, bacteria from 28 people's samples and six food samples did not have predicted resistance to any antibiotics. More information is available at the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) site.
The Virginia Department of Health collected raw oysters for testing from the Little Wicomico Oyster Company harvest areas in the Little Wicomico River. Samples tested positive for Salmonella. WGS showed that some of these samples are the same strain of Salmonella making people sick in this outbreak. Other strains of Salmonella were identified and did not match any other sick people in the PulseNet database. The other strains identified in the oyster samples are Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford. Officials in Virginia are continuing to collect samples for testing as part of reopening the harvest area. See their page for the latest sample results.
Officials in Pennsylvania collected samples of raw oysters from a distributor that supplied oysters to restaurants where sick people ate raw oysters. These oysters were from the Little Wicomico Oyster Company. A strain of Salmonella Litchfield was identified and did not match any other sick people in the PulseNet database.
Previous updates
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Telelkebir infections.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that oysters from Little Wicomico River harvest area may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick in this outbreak.
Epidemiologic Data
Cases
Total cases
States
Hospitalizations
Deaths
Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 29, 2026, to September 14, 2026. The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Demographics
Public health officials collect many different types of information from sick people, including their age, race, ethnicity, other demographics, and the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. This information provides clues to help investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
The table below has information about sick people in this outbreak ("n" is the number of people with information available for each demographic).
Age
(n=26)
Range from 1 to 86 years
Median age of 41
Sex
(n=27)
41% female
59% male
Race
(n=17)
82% White
12% African American/Black
6% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Ethnicity
(n=17)
94% non-Hispanic
6% Hispanic
Food exposure
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 13 people interviewed, 10 (77%) reported eating raw oysters. This percentage is significantly higher than the 1.6% of respondents who reported eating raw oysters in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating raw oysters.
Laboratory and Traceback Data
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak may have gotten sick from the same food.
Based on WGS analysis, bacteria from 27 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. More information is available at the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) site.
Officials in Pennsylvania collected samples of raw oysters from a distributor that supplied oysters to restaurants where ill people reported eating. One oyster sample harvested by the Little Wicomico Oyster Company from the Little Wicomico River tested positive for Salmonella. WGS analysis is pending to determine whether this Salmonella is the same as the strain causing the multistate outbreak.
Oyster traceback information was provided by state and local authorities to state shellfish authorities and FDA for 7 of the 10 sick people who reported eating raw oysters. FDA worked with states to conduct traceback to identify sources of oysters consumed by sick people. Oysters reported by ill people were harvested from multiple geographic locations, but oysters harvested from the Little Wicomico River by Little Wicomico Oyster Company were the only oysters in common to the seven ill people included in traceback.
Public Health Actions
CDC advises people not to eat, serve, or sell recalled oysters.
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The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.