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Fourth person dead from ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria linked to eating raw oysters
Yahoo News Canada • • health
Key Points:
- A fourth person in Florida has died in 2026 from Vibrio vulnificus infection, a bacterium linked to raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters; the latest victim was a Broward County resident aged 75-79.
- Florida has reported 21 Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, with previous deaths in Bay, Palm Beach, and Marion counties; the exact infection source for the latest case remains unclear.
- Vibrio vulnificus naturally occurs in warm coastal waters and can infect individuals through open wounds exposed to contaminated water or by consuming contaminated shellfish, with infections increasing during warmer months.
- Symptoms vary by infection route and can range from food poisoning-like symptoms to severe wound infections that may require surgery or amputation; the bacteria can cause rapid, life-threatening illness.
- Health officials advise thorough cooking of shellfish to kill the bacteria and recommend that high-risk individuals avoid raw or undercooked shellfish to reduce infection risk.
