Marin County Health officials are trying to figure out how more than 40 people got sick after eating contaminated oysters harvested from Tomales Bay in late December.
The 44 people from around the Bay Area got sick with norovirus around New Years after having eating the raw oysters.
"The contamination came from the oysters themselves," said Dr. Matt Willis. "The water in Tomales Bay was presumed to be contaminated … Norovirus most frequently comes from a human source."
Willis said the common denominator was that the oysters were traced back to the Hog Island Oyster Company.
"We’re trying to figure out where it came from," said the company’s co-owner Terry Sawyer. "We’re very proactively cooperating with California Department of Public Health and other health agencies."
That batch of Hog Island Oysters was recalled at more than 30 restaurants and Sawyer is now having to get his oysters from other areas of the country.
"We’re still in business, we have product from growing areas outside of this area, from growers we know are reputable," Willis said.
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None of the 44 people had to be hospitalized.
