Shucking Sad: Texas Woman Dies After Gulping Down Raw Oyster Covered In Flesh Eating Bacteria

PORTLAND, ME – DECEMBER 23: Basket Island oysters at Eventide. (Photo by Derek Davis/Staff photographer)

Dirty Raw Oysters Kill Texas Woman

Some cautionary health related news is coming out of the south and seafood lovers might want to take heed.

A woman from Texas named Jeannette LeBlanc ate raw oysters while on a trip to Louisiana with friends and family in September, reports news station KLFY-TV and the dinner ultimately cost her life. LeBlanc reportedly developed a rash and had trouble breathing for over 36 hours after consuming the Oysters. After spending 21 days in the hospital fighting the infection, caused by vibriosis,she died on Oct. 21. Now her wife, Vicki Bergquist, is raising awareness about the cause of her death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states most people who become infected with vibriosis do so by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. It is also possible to contract vibriosis by exposing an open wound to brackish or salt water.