LAFAYETTE, La. – A Texas woman is dead after eating bad oysters on a trip to Louisiana.

Vicki Bergquist and her wife, Jeanette Leblanc, were visiting family when they went out to eat oysters. CNN reports that they shucked and ate an estimated two dozen raw oysters.

"About 36 hours later she started having extreme respiratory distress, had a rash on her legs and everything," said Bergquist.

Leblanc’s condition went from bad to worse during the first 48 hours. Doctors discovered that she had vibrio, or flesh-eating bacteria.  

According to the Center for Disease Control, vibrio is an infection that comes from eating raw or under-cooked shellfish. It is also contracted from exposing open wounds to brackish water. Leblanc had been in contact with both.

"She ended up with really severe wounds on her legs from this bacteria," said Bergquist.

For the next 21 days, Leblanc fought for her life.

"It was just too much for her. She fought very very hard," said friend Karen Bowers.

Leblanc was unable to recover and died on Oct. 15, 2017.

"She was bigger than life. She was a great person, laughed a lot, fun, loved her family, loved her dad," said Bergquist.

Now Bergquist and Bowers are raising awareness about vibrio saying they wish they had known the risks ahead of time.

"If they really knew what could happen to them and they could die, literally die within 48, 36 hours of just eating raw oysters, is it really worth it," said Bowers.