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Vibrio bacterial infection kills person who went wade fishing in Gulf Coast

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A person has died after contracting a Vibrio bacterial infection while wade fishing off Texas' Gulf Coast in Nueces County, officials said in a news release Tuesday.

According to the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, an "elderly individual" was taken to a hospital after experiencing "severe leg pain and classic signs of a bacterial infection." The person apparently had skin tears, which became infected by bacteria in the Gulf, officials said.

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"Measures were taken to fight the infection, including amputation, but unfortunately the patient passed away within 24 to 36 hours of admission," the health district said.

The bacteria are found in "coastal waters where oysters live" and thrive in summer's warm waters, the release said.

"The bacteria can enter the body through an open wound or by consuming raw or undercooked shellfish and can make some people sick," the health district said, adding that some Vibrio bacteria "can cause particularly severe and life-threatening infections, such as this particular case."

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