Ammon News - Two people are dead after they contracted a flesh-eating bacterium eating raw oysters in Louisiana, a state health official said.

The deaths were due to Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that is naturally occurring in warm coastal waters and more common between May and October.

Vibrio bacteria can lead to illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, according to health officials.

In addition to the two oyster-related deaths, two other people with the bacteria have died this year in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Health Department.

“Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation,” the department said. “About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

The state has experienced “a higher number” of Vibrio vulnificus cases and deaths this year, the department said.

NBC