A Florida man died after eating a bad oyster in what the restaurant manager called a "one in a billion" moment.
The unnamed man was eating at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse in Fort Lauderdale when he consumed an oyster contaminated with the bacteria known as vibrio vulnificus. On that particular day, the restaurant had served as many as 100 dozen oysters to patrons. He was the only person to fall sick.
"He had that one in a billion that was bad," manager Gary Oreal told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I feel horrible."
An inspection was conducted by the Florida Department of Health. Oreal said the restaurant "passed with flying colors" and was allowed to continue to sell oysters.
"Over the course of 60 years, we have served a couple billion oysters, and we never had anyone get sick like this guy did," he said.
The restaurant displays warning signs cautioning patrons that consuming raw shellfish may increase the risk of foodborne illness. As Oreal noted, it is a risk one takes when eating oysters.
"Oysters are top of the mountain for dangerous foods to eat," he said. "I have eaten them my entire life, and will continue. But you are putting yourself at risk when you do it."
Oreal added that he believes the bad oyster came from Louisiana.
"If there was a problem with the oyster bed we would know it because others would have gotten sick," he said.
The unidentified man is the second person in the state to die from raw oysters in recent weeks.
On Aug. 9, Studer Community Institute Business Engagement Director Rodney Jackson died after he consumed an oyster infected with vibrio from a batch he had bought from Maria’s Fresh Seafood Market, the Pensacola News Journal reported. In both incidents, the oysters were sourced from Louisiana.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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