Infection
Hurricanes exacerbate flesh-eating bacteria danger in Florida waters, experts say
WATERBORNE BACTERIA CALLED VIBRIO. SOME RARE SPECIES ARE FLESH EATING AND CAN BE DEADLY. WESH 2 SCOTT HEIDLER HEARD FROM EXPERTS WHO SAY WE’RE SEEING A GREATER RISK DUE TO HURRICANES AND WARMER WATER TEMPERATURES AS ONE SPECIES OF VIBRIO CAN BE DEADLY KNOWN AS FLESH EATING BACTERIA. BUT INFECTIONS ARE LOW. BUT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SENDING OUT A HEALTH ALERT. TYPICALLY, WHEN WE HAVE LOTS OF INCREASED RAINFALL, WE HAVE OUR HIGHEST TEMPERATURES TOWARD THE END OF THE SUMMER AND THE BEGINNING OF FALL, WE START TO SEE THESE BACTERIA BEING MORE ABUNDANT AND ALSO WE START TO SEE MORE INFECTIONS. THE ELEVATED WATER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THAT. THE CONCERN FOCUSED ON BRACKISH WATER LIKE IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON OR COASTAL FLOODING DUE TO HURRICANES THAT CAN ELEVATE THE RISK BECAUSE OF UNDERWATER HAZARDS, CAUSING INJURY AWAY FOR THE BACTERIA TO ENTER THE BLOODSTREAM. CAM IF YOU HAVE A WOUND, DON’T GO INTO THE WATER. IF YOU SUSTAIN AN INJURY WHILE YOU’RE IN THE WATER, YOU GET A FISHHOOK IN IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CLEAN IT OFF WITH SOAP AND WATER. IF THERE’S A SIGN OF AN INFECTION, GO SEE A DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY. ALSO, RAW SHELLFISH CAN BE A RISK FOR SOME. THEY FILTER FEED AND CAN HOLD THE BACTERIA FOR WHAT’S RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNE COMPROMISED AND WHO ARE OR WHO HAVE CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE. EAT THE SHRIMP, NOT THE OYSTERS. ACCORDING TO THE CDC. BETWEEN 150 TO 200 AMERICANS ARE INFECTED WITH THE LIFE THREATENING VIBRIO STRAIN. EACH YEAR, 1 IN 5 WILL DIE SOMETIMES WITHIN TWO DAYS. FLORIDA IS A PERFECT STORM FOR VIBRIO INFECTION WITH THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SPECIES. THE NUMBERS ARE VERY LOW. AND IF YOU FOLLOW BASIC SAFETY PROCEDURES, IT CAN BE PREVENTED. YOU KNOW, HERE IN FLORIDA, WE HAVE RIP CURRENTS, WE HAVE LIGHTNING, WE HAVE SHARKS. WE HAVE ALL THESE THINGS OUT THERE. THEIR HAZARDS. RIGHT. AND WE JUST HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THEM AND TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO BE SAFE. IT SHOULDN’T DETER PEOPLE FROM GOING OUT IN T
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Hurricanes exacerbate flesh-eating bacteria danger in Florida waters, experts say
Updated: 4:50 PM EDT Sep 7, 2023
A warning has come out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a waterborne bacteria called vibrio. Some rare species are flesh-eating and can be deadly. Experts say we’re seeing greater risks due to hurricanes and warmer water temperatures. “Typically, when we have lots of increased rainfall, we have our highest temperatures toward the end of the summer, beginning of the fall, we start to see these bacteria being more abundant, and we also start to see more infections,” said Gabby Barbarite, with Florida Atlantic University. The elevated water temperatures are also contributing to the concern focused on brackish water, like in the Indian River lagoon or flooding due to hurricanes. That can elevate the risk because of underwater hazards causing injury, a way for the bacteria to enter the bloodstream.”If you have a wound, don’t go into the water. If you sustain an injury while you are in the water, you get a fishhook in it or something like that, clean it off with soap and water,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.If there’s a sign of an infection, see a doctor right away. Also, raw shellfish can be a risk for some. They filter feed and can hold the bacteria.”It’s recommended that for people who are immunocompromised and/or who have chronic liver disease to eat the shrimp, not the oysters,” Schaffner said. According to the CDC, between 150 to 200 Americans are infected with the life-threatening vibrio strain each year. One in five with it will die, and sometimes within two days.Florida is a perfect storm for vibrio infection – but again, with the potentially deadly species, the numbers are low. And if you follow the basic safety measures, it can be prevented.”Here in Florida, we have rip currents, we have lightning, we have sharks. We have all these things out there that are hazards. You just have to be aware of them and take the necessary precautions to be safe. It should not deter people from going out on the water,” Barbarite said. For more information about the dangerous vibrio bacteria, click here.
A warning has come out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a waterborne bacteria called vibrio. Some rare species are flesh-eating and can be deadly.
Experts say we’re seeing greater risks due to hurricanes and warmer water temperatures.
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“Typically, when we have lots of increased rainfall, we have our highest temperatures toward the end of the summer, beginning of the fall, we start to see these bacteria being more abundant, and we also start to see more infections,” said Gabby Barbarite, with Florida Atlantic University.
The elevated water temperatures are also contributing to the concern focused on brackish water, like in the Indian River lagoon or flooding due to hurricanes. That can elevate the risk because of underwater hazards causing injury, a way for the bacteria to enter the bloodstream.
“If you have a wound, don’t go into the water. If you sustain an injury while you are in the water, you get a fishhook in it or something like that, clean it off with soap and water,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.
If there’s a sign of an infection, see a doctor right away. Also, raw shellfish can be a risk for some. They filter feed and can hold the bacteria.
“It’s recommended that for people who are immunocompromised and/or who have chronic liver disease to eat the shrimp, not the oysters,” Schaffner said.
According to the CDC, between 150 to 200 Americans are infected with the life-threatening vibrio strain each year. One in five with it will die, and sometimes within two days.
Florida is a perfect storm for vibrio infection – but again, with the potentially deadly species, the numbers are low. And if you follow the basic safety measures, it can be prevented.
“Here in Florida, we have rip currents, we have lightning, we have sharks. We have all these things out there that are hazards. You just have to be aware of them and take the necessary precautions to be safe. It should not deter people from going out on the water,” Barbarite said.
For more information about the dangerous vibrio bacteria, click here.
