Nine fall ill in Tarragona norovirus outbreak linked to clams

Nine people became ill with norovirus after eating razor clams at a restaurant in the Camp de Tarragona in September. Catalan health authorities say they traced the implicated frozen product and withdrew it from sale after samples from two batches tested positive.

The clams had been sold from Andalusia and Portugal, treated in Terres de l’Ebre and distributed to restaurants across Catalonia. The restaurant has not been identified. Authorities classified the food alert as a serious risk.

Alert and symptoms

The clams were reportedly undercooked when served. European food-alert notification 2026.9600 records norovirus genotypes GI and GII in frozen razor clams from Spain; the permitted level is complete absence.

The timeline contains two official notification dates. The Catalan Health Department notified the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed on 4 September, while Spain communicated the alert through the system on 28 October. The available information does not clarify whether those dates refer to separate stages of the same process.

Norovirus is highly contagious and causes acute gastroenteritis. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhoea and abdominal pain. They typically begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure and usually last one to three days. Children and older people face the greatest risk of serious complications, mainly from dehydration. Catalonia records around 30 norovirus outbreaks each year.

Source: La Vanguardia, El Correo, 20minutos and El Mundo.