Texas Man Dies From Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Eating Raw Oyster at Galveston Restaurant
In a tragic incident, a man in his 30s to 40s lost his life due to a bacterial infection he contracted from eating raw oysters at a local restaurant in Galveston, Texas.
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Texas Man Dies From Vibrio vulnificus After Eating Oyster
Health officials from Galveston County confirmed that the man had succumbed to Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium commonly found in warm coastal waters. The man had underlying health issues that made him susceptible to this infection. His illness began shortly after consuming raw oysters at a restaurant on August 29, as reported by Local Health Authority Dr Philip Keiser. He was admitted to the hospital on September 1 and passed away three days later.
This bacterial infection, Vibrio vulnificus, can affect individuals who consume undercooked or raw shellfish, particularly oysters, and can also enter the body through open wounds.
Dr. Keiser emphasized that the deceased person had a pre-existing liver condition and was receiving immunosuppressive treatment.
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CDC’s Urgent Health Advisory
On September 1st, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Advisory through the Public Health Alert Network (HAN) to raise awareness among the public, laboratories, and public health departments about recent fatal infections, including both wound and foodborne cases.
Dr Keiser explained, “Vibrio vulnificus is a fitting name because ‘vulnificus’ suggests rapid and aggressive spread, much like a volcano. When these infections take hold, they can spread swiftly.”
Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, as well as skin-related issues like cellulitis (a painful, red skin rash) and blistering lesions.
He added, “In a healthy individual, treatment is relatively straightforward, but it requires a high level of suspicion. For doctors, if you encounter a person with a rapidly spreading rash, almost blister-like, who has been in the water, you should consider Vibrio vulnificus and administer appropriate treatment.”
An Expanding Nightmare
Sadly, this bacterial infection isn’t limited to Texas. In June, a 54-year-old man from Missouri lost his life after consuming raw oysters and contracting Vibrio vulnificus. He had purchased the oysters from Manchester, a town in St. Louis. A month later, a 71-year-old man with underlying health issues died two days after consuming raw oysters at a Sarasota, Florida restaurant.
In August, a series of incidents occurred when three individuals, one in New York and two in Connecticut, lost their lives after exposure to Vibrio vulnificus. The two individuals in Connecticut contracted infections after swimming in the Long Island Sound, while in New York, the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria was found in the body of a recently deceased man from Suffolk County.
According to the CDC, Vibrio vulnificus is responsible for approximately 80,000 illnesses in the United States each year. Among the various Vibrio species, about a dozen are known to harm humans.