(WSVN) - A Texas woman has passed away after eating tainted raw oysters, Fox News reports.
Jane Cunningham, 56, had been battling leukemia since 2016, and developed a severe infection while on vacation in Mississippi after consuming raw oysters contaminated with the bacteria Vibrio, health officials said.
“There has been a lot of swelling in her extremities and a lot of pain,” David Cunningham, the 56-year-old’s husband, wrote in an Aug. 8 Facebook post. “Today they had to amputate both legs and her left arm in an attempt to save her life as the infection was spreading rapidly.”
Two days later, Cunningham succumbed to the infection, which causes an estimated 100 deaths each year.
Vibrio can be found in raw seafood, and is especially dangerous to those with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In healthy individuals, it can cause typical food poisoning symptoms.
The CDC says the majority of infections happen between May and October, when water temperatures are typically warmer. The center advises against eating raw or undercooked shellfish to avoid Vibrio infections.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.