Man dies after eating a bad oyster in Sarasota

Health officials say a 71-year-old man has died after contracting an infection from a bad oyster in Sarasota.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the man ate a bad oyster on July 8 and died two days later from a gastro-intestinal related illness.

The department has not released the name of the restaurant where the man ate the oyster.

According to WFLA News Channel 8, the health department said the man had some underlying medical issues. Health officials also said that this is the first confirmed case and death of Vibrio vulnificus in Sarasota County this year. The county, according to the department, didn’t have any cases or deaths in 2017, and three confirmed cases and one death in 2016.

In Manatee County, there has been one case of vibriosis so far in 2018 but no deaths. In 2017, there were two cases and also no fatalities.

“Vibriosis causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States every year,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. “People with vibriosis become infected by consuming raw or undercooked seafood or exposing a wound to seawater. Most infections occur from May through October when water temperatures are warmer.”

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that normally lives in warm, brackish seawater and is part of a group of Vibrios that are called “halophilic” because they require salt, health officials say. Officials say people can get infected by eating raw shellfish, particularly oysters, or by swimming in the ocean with open wounds.

Health officials advise those with weakened immune systems to wear proper foot protection to prevent cuts and injury caused by rocks and shells on the beach.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 2:53 PM.