WILMINGTON, N.C. — North Carolina health officials are investigating after a man died shortly after eating raw oysters in Wilmington.
Officials said the man, who was from Cary, was visiting Wilmington when he ate oysters and died after contracting vibriosis, a bacteria found in raw or undercooked shellfish. Vibriosis can also enter the body through an open wound.
Health officials are now investigating to determine whether contaminated oysters led to the man's death. According to a report from the StarNews of Wilmington, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries confirmed the oysters were not from North Carolina.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 100 deaths and 80,000 illnesses in the U.S. are caused by vibriosis each year.