Man dies after contracting a vibrio after eating oysters on the North Carolina coast: Friends

RALEIGH, North Carolina – According to a family friend, a man died after contracting a harmful bacteria after eating oysters on the North Carolina coast.

They say that David Argay contracted the vibrio in Wilmington, but died Thursday in the hospital.

Argay comes from Cary, North Carolina.

Vibrio is a bacterium that lives in salt water. There are 200 recognized species of marine vibrios, but only a few can pose serious problems.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Social Services, Vibrio infections are associated with the consumption of shellfish such as oysters, clams, shrimp and scallops.

The health department did not provide details on exactly when Argay eaten the oysters or the restaurant that served them.

Health officials have stated that these types of infections can be avoided by cooking shellfish or seafood, especially oysters, and not leaving open wounds open to seawater.

Most infections occur from May to October, when the water temperature is warmer.

The CDC reports that vibrios cause about 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths a year in the United States.