US Man, 54, Dies From Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Eating Raw Oysters

The man died from the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus

A 54-year-old Missouri man died last week after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria from eating raw oysters, NBC News reported.

In a press release, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health announced that the man died from the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus after eating oysters he bought from The Fruit Stand & Seafood, located in Manchester, a town in St. Louis.

The man, whose name has not been revealed, was being treated at St. Claire Hospital before his death. 

Notably, the bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, is typically contracted by consuming raw or undercooked oysters and other shellfish. Symptoms of vibriosis can include abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.

Death is rare after having contacted vibriosis, and it typically occurs in people with weakened immune systems, the health department said. The bacterium is responsible for more than 95% of seafood-related deaths in the US.

The department also urged customers who have recently shopped at The Fruit Stand & Seafood to throw their remaining oysters out.

”There is no evidence that the business did anything to contaminate the oysters, which likely were already contaminated when the establishment received them, DPH investigators said. All remaining oysters in the establishment were embargoed by DPH. Investigators are attempting to determine the source of the oysters in question,” the health department said in the release.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said around 80,000 people contract the infection every year and it causes approximately 100 deaths in the US. The CDC recommended people to avoid eating raw shellfish or at least wash their hands thoroughly before doing so. 

They also urged people to stay out of saltwater or brackish water if they have a wound and to thoroughly wash with soap and water if exposed.