Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@justbillyleblanc
Topics: Health, World News, US News, Celebrity, Social Media
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Health, World News, US News, Celebrity, Social Media
Following the harrowing news that much-loved a YouTube star was left hospitalised and his girlfriend dead this week, a physician has issued a stark warning about the potentially fatal risks of consuming a particular meal.
Social media favourite Billy LeBlanc woke up in his local intensive care unit this week after eight days, to discover that his partner Natalie Clark had tragically died.
The duo had both contracting a lethal virus after consuming a batch of oysters earlier this month, unaware that the raw seafood was carrying a bacteria known as Vibrio Vulnificus, which is found in some bodies of coastal water.
Taking to Instagram today (Wednesday 17 July), the 44-year-old broke the news to his devoted online fanbase, revealing that 41-year-old mother-of-one Natalie had passed away in hospital, having succumbed to the virus.
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Since then, Billy's followers have bombarded the star with questions regarding the meal they'd chosen just hours before winding up in hospital.
Thankfully, speaking exclusively to Tyla today, Dr Claire Merrifield - medical director at Selph - has lifted the lid on what exactly makes this particularly popular delicacy to risk to consumers.
"Oysters are filter feeders," the medic initially told us. "This means that any bacteria and viruses they come into contact with in the water can become concentrated within the body of the oyster.
"Bacteria like Vibrio vulnifucus live naturally in coastal waters and oysters that feed in water with a high concentration of these bacteria are likely to be infectious to humans if eaten raw."
Whilst Dr Merrifield went on to emphasise that while most oysters don't pose a detrimental risk to our health, they could carry harmful bacteria, and being that not every oyster can be tested, the risk is ever-present.
It is understood that the lethal virus enters the body when animals been living in coastal bodies of water are eaten, either raw or undercooked.
Content creator and father-of-three Billy went on to recall a vague memory he has of spending just under two weeks in hospital with his partner, after contracting the deadly virus himself.
After eight days in the ICU, he thankfully made a full recovery, though Natalie did not.
"Common symptoms from a vibrio infection are watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever," Dr Merrifield explained what the duo likely endured during their stint in hospital.
She went on to warn: "If you feel very unwell, are unable to keep fluids down, feel dizzy on standing or your skin turns a different colour it’s important seek urgent medical attention."
Asked about similar dishes which could result in the same devastating consequences, she continued: "All raw seafood, in particular shellfish, carries a risk of infection.
"Ensure any seafood you eat is sourced from reputable suppliers and don’t eat anything that smells unpleasant or where the meat doesn’t look clean and fresh."