Sick list from contaminated oysters grows

The number of people affected by contaminated Tasmanian oysters has climbed to nearly 240 across three states.

Tasmania's Health Department says 171 cases of gastroenteritis have been recorded in the state, more than 60 in Victoria and eight in New South Wales.

The contamination was caused by a broken sewerage pipe on a private property in Dunalley which leaked human waste into waters used by an oyster farm.

Tom Lewis from industry group Oysters Tasmania says the full financial impact of the crisis is unclear.

"The feedback we've been getting from customers, they've been saying 'we know you've got a good product'," he said.

"Something's happened in the short term and it absolutely seems like people are going to come back and be buying oysters pretty soon."

Up to 200 people fell ill after eating contaminated oysters.

Authorities identify oyster pollution source

Tasmanian health authorities believe they have traced the source of oyster contamination to a private sewerage outlet.

It follows an outbreak of gastroenteritis over Easter involving around 100 Tasmanians and up to 80 Victorians who ate Barilla Bay oysters harvested from a lease at Dunalley in the south-east.

Tasmania's director of public health, Roscoe Taylor, says investigations have found the shellfish were contaminated with human waste discharged from a pipeline.

A small harvest area nearby has been closed as a precaution.

All of Barilla Bay's products have been recalled.

Authorities had earlier suspected human waste from a passing boat may have been responsible.

Oyster grower considers legal action

The Tasmanian company whose contaminated oysters caused a gastro outbreak in Tasmania and Victoria is considering whether to sue or seek compensation.

Investigators have found shellfish harvested from a lease at Dunalley were contaminated with human waste from a private pipeline under a canal.

Health authorities estimate up to 100 Tasmanians and as many as 80 Victorians contracted gastroenteritis after eating the oysters at Easter.

Justin Goc from Barilla Bay Oysters says the incident has had a big financial impact but can not yet say whether the company will seek compensation.

"At this stage I'm still working with the Government and ascertaining exactly what the ramifications are and still our main priority is to apologise to our loyal customers in what's happened and make sure that in the future that we can get over this and we can get back to selling oysters," he said.

"I'm still right in the investigation stage and at this stage we really don't have much to comment on that until we get a bit more information," he said.

Tom Lewis from Oysters Tasmania is relieved the source of the contamination has been found.

"It's great it's been found and I'm really pleased that something can be identified," he said.

"So often these things happen you know the point source, you know transient things can be untraced and that always leaves a little question mark but at least it seems now we don't have that question mark."

The incident has prompted wider concerns about Tasmania's sewerage infrastructure.

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust's Peter McGlone says a recent report on the water and sewerage industry found an increase of sewage spills.

"If we're having an increase with raw sewerage being spilt, we have to ask why," he said.

"The report actually spells out pretty clearly that it's due to very old infrastructure, it's often due to leakage of stormwater into sewage and we've seen that recently in Hobart even."

Source: ABC News, 5 April 2013