Officials in Louisiana on Friday confirmed two people have now died after getting sick from eating raw oysters and contracting flesh-eating bacteria. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Officials in Louisiana on Friday confirmed two people have now died after getting sick from eating raw oysters and contracting flesh-eating bacteria.
A total of 22 people have been infected so far this year in Louisiana with the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, state health officials said in a statement.
“Vibrio are bacteria that naturally live in certain coastal waters. They are found in higher numbers in May through October, when water temperatures are warmer,” a definition by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Infection states.
The CDC says around a dozen varieties of the bacteria exist, including Vibrio vulnificus, with most people contracting it from eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. Humans also can contract the bacteria through open wounds in water.
The two deaths confirmed Friday bring the total number of people who have died from the bacteria in Louisiana this year to four. The two earlier deaths resulted from infections contracted through open wounds in contaminated water, while the two latest cases are from eating oysters.
Of the approximately 80,000 cases of vibriosis reported every year, about 52,000 stem from eating food containing the bacteria.
The state averaged around seven infections and one death per year over the last decade, despite warnings from health officials.
At the end of July, state officials issued a warning “urging residents to take precautions to prevent infection from Vibrio vulnificus.”
At the time, the state already had recorded 17 instances of the bacteria this year.
“The department is seeing a higher number of Vibrio vulnificus cases and deaths than are typically reported,” the Louisiana Department of Health said at the time. “Anyone can get a Vibrio infection. However, some medical conditions and treatments can increase your risk for infection and severe complications.”
