A food event in Hollywood turned into a nightmare for several dozen people who got sick after eating raw oysters.
The Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants event at the Hollywood Palladium showcased food from a selection of high-end eateries – including Providence, a double Michelin star seafood restaurant that was serving up raw oysters.
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Without naming the event directly, a spokesperson for the L.A. County Public Health Department said that over 70 people fell ill after eating oysters at an event on Dec. 3, the night of the L.A. Times party.
Among them was Javier Cabral, editor-in-chief of LA TACO, which first broke the story.
“I've been really proud of my stomach of steel, which is why I choose to do this career,” Cabral told KNX News. “I was a little scared, if I'm being honest. You know, I remember trying to stand up and I would lose my equilibrium. It was that crazy. It was just uncontrollable projectile vomiting for like nonstop for 24 hours.”
The county and state health departments both recently warned about a norovirus outbreak associated with oysters harvested from Canada, which were sold at restaurants and venues all over California.
Norovirus can be killed by cooking oysters to 145 degrees.But raw oysters can readily be contaminated with the virus, which can cause symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.
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