9 Flesh-Eating Bacteria Deaths Linked To Popular Seafood: What To Know

A spate of flesh-eating bacteria deaths has given fans of oysters on a half shell reason to pause before they place their orders.

Multiple people have died this year from Vibrio vulnificus bacteria after eating raw oysters, an annual threat along the Gulf Coast and — increasingly — up and down the Eastern seaboard.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 80,000 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections occur every year in the United States. Of those, nearly two-thirds (52,000) of cases are the result of eating contaminated food. Others become ill after exposure to ocean or brackish water, as naturally occurring bacteria can enter the body through small breaks in the skin

Florida’s health department has reported five deaths this year to flesh-eating bacteria, which earned the common name because its infection can rapidly destroy skin and underlying tissues, a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis.

• Related: 2 Dead After Eating Vibrio Vulnificus-Tainted Oysters At FL, LA Restaurants

At least four people have died of Vibrio vulnificus in Louisiana, two of them after eating raw oysters, the Louisiana Health Department said in a news release.

“Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation,” the Louisiana Health Department said. “About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

‘Ain’t Anything To Play With’

The Gulf’s water is “the perfect convergence of the right amount of salt and the right amount of heat to let this organism proliferate,” Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious diseases specialist at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, told The Associated Press.

“This ain’t anything to play with,” Bernie Stewart, a 65-year-old retired bounty hunter who considers himself lucky to have survived an infection, told The AP.

In August 2019, Stewart’s right leg was infected while he was kayak fishing in Pensacola Bay. What at first appeared to be a sun blister led to three months in the hospital, where doctors performed 10 surgeries to remove decaying skin and prevent the bacteria from killing him.

Louisiana health officials said they have seen a higher number of cases this year, but that’s not the case everywhere. More cases are expected, as most cases are reported in the late summer and early fall when water temperatures rise.

“It is really easy to sound unnecessary alarms because cases have increased, or feel too complacent because cases are low,” when data is incomplete, Salvador Almagro-Moreno, a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who has studied the germ, told The AP.

Infections have also been reported as far north as New England. Massachusetts issued an alert in mid-August after a swimmer was infected on Cape Cod, Patch previously reported.

• Related: Cape Cod Swimmer Contracts Flesh-Eating Bacteria Infection

Scientists say climate change is helping the germs proliferate and spread northward. A 2023 study found that the northernmost case has been shifting by about 30 miles each year, and that cases overall have been rising.

Oysters Clean The Sea

Any raw or undercooked seafood, or their juices and drippings, can contaminate other foods, but oysters pose a particular risk. Here’s why:

They take in nourishment by pumping water through their digestive systems, naturally filtering bacteria, viruses and harmful pollutants such as nitrogen from the water in the process.

Oysters are ecological heroes in this respect. They play an important role in controlling excessive nitrogen that triggers algae blooms that deprive the water of oxygen and create “dead zones.”

Eat Oysters Only In ‘R’ Months?

While the filtration is good for the ocean’s ecosystem, the pathogens can build up in the mollusk’s tissues. If oysters are eaten raw or undercooked, those germs can be passed along, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

There’s no way of knowing just by looking at a plate of oysters if they contain bacteria that could cause an illness.

And the rule of thumb to eat oysters only in months containing an “r” (September through April) is outdated advice, according to Southern Living, which said times have changed, and it’s OK to eat raw oysters year-round.

The advice hearkens back to a time before modern refrigeration, stricter water-quality monitoring and regulatory oversight over transportation and other processes. Regulations require that oysters be labeled with the time and place of harvest.

The popularity and availability of farmed oysters, which are grown and harvested from rigorously monitored waters, ensure they are safe for consumption year-round and also reduce reliance on wild oysters, according to Southern Living.

How To Lower The Risk

To lower the risk of an illness and still enjoy them on the shell, boil or steam them until the shells open. The CDC recommends cooking shucked oysters, either by:

• Boiling for at least 3 minutes;
• Frying in oil for at least 3 minutes at 375 degrees F.;
• Broiling 3 inches from heat for 3 minutes; or
• Baking at 450 degrees F. for 10 minutes.

If shells are open before cooking, throw them away.

The CDC advises washing hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish of any kind. Those with weakened immune systems — those most vulnerable to flesh-eating bacteria infections — should wear protective gloves when handling shellfish.

How To Swim And Wade Safely

Although the majority of flesh-eating bacteria cases are foodborne, anyone with an open wound — from a recent surgery, piercing, tattoo, cut or scrape — should cover it with a waterproof bandage before wading, swimming and fishing, or stay out of coastal waters entirely, according to the CDC.

Wounds should be washed with soap and water after contact with coastal waters. These individuals should monitor for signs and symptoms of infection for seven days. They’re advised to seek medical attention if they develop fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, blistering skin lesions or any redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, or discharge at the site of the wound.

The CDC said that people with wounds, whether covered or not, should avoid handling raw seafood, its drippings or its juices.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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