"There have been two cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection in Rayong. Both died from eating undercooked and raw cockles, mussels and seafood," reads a Thai-language post on Facebook from September 13.
Rayong is a coastal province in eastern Thailand and a popular destination for tourists in search of fresh ocean produce.
The Facebook post contains a picture of a person's torso with the skin discoloured. The text claims two people were infected by Vibrio vulnificus, a type of bacteria found naturally in marine waters.
Vibrio vulnificus infects people via an open wound while swimming or transmits through consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (archived link).
In severe cases the flesh around an open wound dies, which has led some media to label Vibrio vulnificus the "flesh-eating bacteria".
"One patient died at Rayong Hospital while another died at Klaeng Hospital," the post claims. It has been shared more than 100 times.
Warning
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