A New York City coroner confirmed that the actress passed away due to an illness caused by bacterial infection. The sepsis was caused by the absence of a spleen.
Charlbi Dean Kriek, a South African model actress passed away due to a sudden and unexpected illness on August 29th, 2022, at age of 32. A medical examiner revealed that she was infected with Capnocytophaga bacteria.
Different species of bacteria flourish in the mouths of humans, cats, and dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Caitlin Cossaboom, epidemic intelligence service officer at CDC revealed that severe infection by this bacteria is rare. People with weakened immune systems and spleen removed are susceptible to infections.
Dean was involved in a major car accident back in 2009. She suffered from broken ribs and back, and the removal of her spleen. The spleen is responsible for fighting bacterial infection. It is difficult to determine whether an animal bite or lick caused the infection because the medical examiner has not released the entire autopsy records.
Dean’s brother, Alex Jacobs revealed a few days after Dean’s death that she suffered minor symptoms and requested her fiance, Luke Volker to drive her to the hospital. A few hours later, she passed away. “This happened literally within the span of a day: getting a headache, going to sleep, waking up her boyfriend and saying please take me to the hospital,” Jacobs told Rolling Stone.
Dean’s last role in the “Triangle of Sadness” earned her Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Prior to her major hit, she portrayed Syonide in the CW show “Black Lightning”.
Following her modelling career, Dean made her acting debut in 2010 with the film “Spud”. She worked in “Illusive Fields” and shortly after returned for “Spud 2: The Madness Continues” in 2013.
