A 54-year-old man in Missouri was infected with flesh-eating bacteria from raw oysters and died

• A man in Missouri died after eating raw oysters contaminated with the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus.
• Vibrio vulnificus can cause fever, skin lesions, vomiting, and diarrhea, usually within 24 hours of infection.

A 55-year-old man in Missouri died after eating contaminated raw oysters, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health said on June 9.

He purchased them from The Fruit Stand & Seafood in Manchester, Missouri, the department said, but "There is no evidence that the business did anything to contaminate the oysters."

Health department investigators are trying to track the source of the oysters contaminated with the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria and warned residents not to eat any they'd recently purchased from the stand.

Vibrio vulnificus infection is the leading cause of death in the US related to consuming seafood.

The illness, called vibriosis, comes from eating food contaminated with vibrio bacteria and causes an estimated 52,000 illnesses a year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the vast majority of those illnesses are from the more common species, Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Prevention, symptoms, and treatment for vibriosis

To avoid contracting the vibrio bacteria, the US Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding raw oysters or undercooked shellfish. Heat can kill Vibrio vulnificus, so the agency says you should thoroughly cook shellfish.

"Eating raw oysters with hot sauce or while drinking alcohol does not kill the bacteria, either," the FDA says. "Only heat can destroy the bacteria."

Symptoms of vibriosis usually appear within 24 hours, and include watery diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and skin lesions.

Vibrio vulnificus is often called a "flesh-eating bacteria" because it can also cause fluid-filled blisters, painful skin rashes, and necrotizing fasciitis in severe infections.

It's not just raw oysters you can get it from — you can also contract Vibrio vulnificus by swimming in warm, salty water if you have an open wound, the CDC warns.

Treatment, if caught early, includes antibiotics and fluid replacement. People with underlying conditions, including liver disease, are at higher risk for severe complications, including amputation.

Vibrio vulnificus infection is rare, and most healthy people recover in a few days. But for those who get a severe case, about one in five die within a day or two, the CDC warns.