As Climate Changes, Is Eating Raw Oysters Getting Riskier?

"Former North Dakota lawmaker Rae Ann Kelsch died last month at age 58 after eating raw oysters at a New Orleans restaurant. The alleged culprit: a fast-moving bacterial infection — linked to consuming raw or undercooked shellfish — that caused her organs to shut down."

"The place where Kelsch ate oysters has not been publicly released."

"Oysters have long been a trademark of southern cuisine, but they also pose health risks for some."

"'There's always going to be a small amount of risk,' says Dr. Fred Lopez, who studies infectious disease at Louisiana State University's Health Sciences Center."

"Lopez says the biggest danger comes from a pervasive bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus, which is what reportedly killed Kelsch."

"Vibrio vulnificus naturally thrives in brackish waters where the temperature is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, it's actually more common in the Gulf of Mexico, where the waters are warmer, than on the East and West coasts."

"'If you're consuming a raw oyster that comes from the Gulf Coast waters ... particularly in the summer months,' says Lopez, 'You have to assume that it has Vibrio vulnificus.'"