According to NBC News, a 54-year-old Missouri man died last week after catching flesh-eating bacteria from eating raw oysters. According to a news release from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, the man died from the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus after eating oysters purchased from The Fruit Stand & Seafood in Manchester, Missouri.
The individual, whose identity has not been released, was being treated at St. Claire Hospital when he died. Notably, Vibrio vulnificus is usually transmitted by eating raw or undercooked oysters and other seafood. Vibriosis symptoms include stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.
According to the health department, death from vibriosis is uncommon and usually happens in patients with weaker immune systems. The bacterium is to blame for more than 95% of seafood-related deaths in the United States. Customers who recently shopped at The Fruit Stand & Seafood were likewise advised to discard any remaining oysters.
”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.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 80,000 people develop the virus each year, resulting in approximately 100 deaths in the United States. The CDC advised individuals to avoid eating raw shellfish or to fully wash their hands before doing so. They also advised individuals to avoid swimming in saltwater or brackish water if they have a wound and to carefully wash exposed skin with soap and water.