At least two people have died from a flesh-eating bacteria they contracted from eating raw oysters harvested in Louisiana, underscoring what health authorities say is a notable rise in infections.
An official announced the two fatalities at a Louisiana Oyster Task Force meeting earlier this week, a state health official confirmed. According to local outlet WBRZ, one of the deceased ate the oysters at an in-state restaurant, while the other ate them at a Florida eatery.
The fatalities were cased by Vibrio vulnificus, a type of bacteria that occurs in warm coastal waters and is more common between May and October when water temperatures are higher ― though scientists say climate change is expanding that risk.
Emma Herrock, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Health, told HuffPost that Louisiana has counted 22 cases of Vibrio vulnificus this year, not including the Florida case. All were hospitalized, and a total of four have died.
That’s an alarming increase from the same time period over the past 10 years, which have averaged seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death annually, the department warned last month.
