Man dies after consuming raw oysters
A Galveston County man died over the Labor Day weekend after eating raw oysters at a local restaurant, but health officials said he had underlying health conditions that predisposed him to a vibrio infection.
The man was reportedly between 30 and 40 years old, according to the Galveston County Health District. He was infected by a rare bacterium known as Vibrio vulnificus, which lives in coastal waters, including warm, salt water and brackish water, a salt and freshwater mixture.
Dr. Philip Keiser, an infectious disease physician and the local health authority for Galveston County, said the man ate about a dozen or more raw oysters and fell sick with a gastroenteritis-type syndrome involving abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea.
Keiser added the man had taken medication that suppressed his immune system and the hospital found issues with his liver.
“Between those two things, I think that really made him very susceptible to developing overwhelming infections,” he said.
According to the health district, vibrio infections are rare and usually occur in people with underlying health conditions such as liver disease, immunosuppression or diabetes. People who are immunosuppressed or have liver disease or diabetes should not eat raw shellfish and/or swim, bathe, surf or participate in water activities.
Signs and symptoms of a vibrio infection include diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea vomiting, fever, chills, cellulitis and blistering lesions.
Due to unusually warm ocean temperatures this year, the number of vibrio infections in the United States is increasing, according to the health district.
“(Galveston County) has about somewhere between five and 10 cases a year, so it’s a very rare infection,” Keiser said. “This year, we actually had much lower rate than we’ve had in the past so far.”
He also recommends that if a person takes medication that suppresses the immune system and has any liver problems, they should not eat raw seafood.
“It’s particularly concerning because now in the 21st century, there are a lot more people taking medicines that affect their immune system for a wide variety of illnesses which we never had before,” Keiser said.
He continued, “About half the cases we see are people who get into the water, they cut their food on a shell or stone and then the bacteria gets into their foot, and before you know it, it’s literally within a day or two and they have a raging infection that’s spreading up their leg and (they) end up in the hospital.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory notifying the public, laboratories and public health departments about the recent reports of fatal infections, including wound- and foodborne infections.
According to the CDC, vibrio has caused an estimated 80,000 illnesses each year in the United States.
Neither the deceased man’s identity nor his exact underlying health condition has been released by the Galveston County Health District due to medical confidentiality.