Maryland Crab Safe To Eat, But Officials Say Check Labels
ANNAPOLIS, Md, (WJZ) -- Maryland's Health Department is warning people not to eat fresh crab imported from Venezuela, but crabs caught in Maryland are safe to eat.
At least nine people have been made ill by Vibrio bacteria in the crab meat. Two of those people have been hospitalized.
RELATED: Fresh Crab Meat From Venezuela Could Cause Infection, Health Department Says
Maryland crab meat is safe to eat. Vibrio bacteria occurs naturally through-out the world in brackish waters, including the Chesapeake Bay.
According to the health department, symptoms include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever.
Containers must show where the crab meat is from.
In restaurants you can also check. According to Ryleigh's Oysters owner Brian McComas, "We're encouraging people to ask. Ask for the invoices, ask for the containers. That pretty much says it all. If they don't want to supply them, then there's a problem."
For McComas, there is no problem. Ryleigh's Oysters serves only Maryland crab meat.
According to the CDC, there are typically 80,000 Vibrio infections in the United States every year and 100 deaths.
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)