Two individuals in Louisiana have succumbed to a flesh-eating bacterium after consuming oysters.
Health officials have confirmed that these fatalities are due to Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that thrives in warm coastal waters.
This type of bacterium is naturally found in warm, brackish seawater, which has a salt concentration between fresh and saltwater.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the bacterium is commonly encountered along coastlines.
Vibrio infections usually occur when people consume contaminated water or when the water enters an open wound. The most prevalent strains in the US include Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio alginolyticus.
In addition to the two deaths linked to oysters, the Louisiana Health Department has reported two more fatalities from the same bacteria in the state.
The health department stated, “Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation.”
“About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill,” the department further explained.
In Louisiana, 22 cases have resulted in hospitalization, with 80 percent linked to seawater exposure through open wounds.
The department also mentioned, “During the same time period over the previous 10 years, an average of seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death have been reported each year in Louisiana.”
Florida has also faced challenges with the flesh-eating bacterium, reporting 23 cases of Vibrio vulnificus this year, resulting in five fatalities.
The Florida Health Department has advised those with weakened immune systems to exercise particular caution regarding Vibrio vulnificus.
The department’s website advises, “Water and wounds do not mix. Do not enter the water if you have fresh cuts or scrapes.”
The health department also recommends that individuals with conditions like chronic liver disease, kidney disease, or a compromised immune system, “should wear proper foot protection to prevent cuts and injury caused by rocks and shells on the beach.”
The Cleveland Clinic notes that symptoms of the bacterial infection can appear suddenly, often within 24 hours of exposure.
If experiencing symptoms such as fever, chills, a rapidly swelling and painful rash, fluid-filled blisters, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion, or a rapid heart rate, individuals should seek medical attention.
Severe cases may lead to sepsis or thrombocytopenia as complications of the infection.