Officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Health are investigating a possible norovirus outbreak after more than 80 people fell ill after eating raw oysters at a 101 Best Restaurants event hosted by the Los Angeles Times in the US state of California on Dec. 3.

A public health spokesperson confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Thursday (Dec. 19) that the illnesses appeared to be linked to raw oysters served at the event, which have since been recalled.

Hillary Manning, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Times, said that the oysters were supplied by Fanny Bay Oysters and sourced by Santa Monica Seafood, which was also a sponsor of the event. The oysters were provided to one of the restaurants featured in the 101 Best Restaurants list.

Recall that Fanny Bay, Buckley Bay and Royal Miyagi oysters, harvested in British Columbia, Canada, were recalled by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Dec. 18. The FDA said that certain oysters could potentially be contaminated with norovirus, which can cause severe illness. 

The oysters had been distributed to restaurants and food retailers in the US states of Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

But that's not the only oyster recall issued by the FDA this month. A few days before Fanny Bay oysters were recalled, the FDA issued an advisory about oysters and Manila clams harvested by Rudy's Shellfish from the Pickering Passage growing area in Washington state. Those oysters and clams also have the potential to be contaminated by norovirus.

Those oysters had been distributed to both restaurants and retailers in the US states of Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Washington.