Cousins! A series of raw oysters that obtained rare and dangerous bacteria in them, has been linked to the tragic death of a young man in Texas.
According to Galveston County Local Health Authority, the identity of the victim has not yet been released to the public at this time. He is described as being a male in his thirties who consumed several raw oysters while dining at a restaurant last month on August 29th.
Officials state that before his passing he had pre-existing health issues that made him more liable to to fall ill from the bacteria within the oysters.
Reports KSAT that the man’s death has been linked to Vibrio vulnificus. The rare bacteria is often discovered in warm waters along the coast and usually affects individuals who have consumed raw or uncooked shellfish or seafood–most commonly oysters.
Health officials warn that infection can also take place if a person with an open wound comes in contact with the rare bacteria. Though it has been noted that infection is less common——it can also be deadly.
Individuals with weak immune systems, liver disease, or diabetes are at the highest risk.
A local health official confirmed that the Texas man checked into a hospital on September 1st and passed away three days later.
“He was taking some drugs that made him immunosuppressed,” said Dr. Philip Keiser of the Galveston County Health District, according to ABC 13. “He also had problems with his liver.”
“The conditions that he had really predisposed him to an overwhelming infection.”
Dr Keizer says that he and his department had taken continuous steps to detect where the bacteria derived from.
“We’ve actually gone to the restaurant where he was eating, and we pulled the oysters from the shelf. There are tags to them, so we can identify the lots, and the state is actually analyzing them to see if we can find the bug in a particular lot of oysters.”
The New York Post reports, that the flesh-eating bacteria claimed the lives of two Connecticut residents back in July. One of the victims had an open wound in water and the other consumed raw, contaminated shellfish while out of state.