TEXAS: A healthy-looking man in his 30s unexpectedly died after eating raw oysters at a Texas restaurant.
According to reports, the Texas man died after consuming raw oysters tainted with a bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus that eats flesh, as per Daily Mail.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a caution this year as Vibrio infections are reportedly on the rise in the US, according to doctors.
Vibrio infections have caused at least 12 fatalities in America so far this year.
The Galveston County Health Department's Dr Philip Keiser told ABC13 that once an illness takes hold, it can spread like wildfire.
"These infections, once they take hold, can spread extremely rapidly — like a fire," he said.
The patient was at a significant risk of developing a serious infection since he had a liver disease and was using immunosuppressant medication.
The county typically registers five to ten Vibrio cases each year and a death "every few years," according to Dr Keiser.
How did the Texas man die?
Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that thrives in warm coastal waters, was the source of the man's sickness. As a result of climate change, the temperature of the water is continuing to rise, increasing the risk of bacterial diseases like this one, as per USA TODAY.
Vibrio vulnificus can be found in raw or undercooked seafood, but it also exists naturally in saltwater and brackish water.
According to the CDC, you can become infected with Vibrio when an open wound comes into touch with raw or undercooked fish, its juices or drippings, or with saltwater or brackish water.
How are humans exposed to Vibro Vulnificus?
Warm, coastal seas are home to Vibrio vulnificus, which can contaminate shellfish like oysters when it enters them while they are filtering the water.
Humans can contract the bacteria by consuming contaminated seafood or by swimming in contaminated waters while having an open wound or cut.
What are the symptoms of Vibrio Vulnificus?
When ingested by patients, Vibrio vulnificus is not destroyed by stomach acid and can pass into the small intestine.
Thereafter, it grows swiftly and starts attacking the nearby tissue. The infection spreads quickly and can result in septic shock and death within a few days.
The CDC estimates that one in three patients with a Vibrio infection do not survive.
Patients who contract the bacteria through food will have nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and vomiting within hours after infection.
Additionally, if the infection worsens, patients get a high temperature, chills, and sepsis, the body's severe and sometimes fatal response to an infection.
How do doctors treat Vibrio vulnificus?
Antibiotics are used to treat Vibrio vulnificus infections, and in certain situations, infected tissue may need to be removed surgically.
The Texas man was at least the tenth US resident this year to die from a Vibrio infection.
