by This year, four people in Florida died of bacterial infections that can lead to “carnivorous” wounds, the state of the state reported this month.
The perpetrator, the bacteria Vibrio Vulnificus, lives in warm sea water. The fatal cases were spread out in the counties in Florida’s extensive coast from Bay County in Panhandle and Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located on the Gulf coast, to the Broward County in the southeast of Florida and St. John County south of Jacksonville.
In Florida, 11 cases of Vibrio Vulnificus saw this year this year, according to the state’s Ministry of Health. The bacteria can get into the body through open wounds in the skin and die the surrounding tissue, an illness that, according to the centers, is known for the control and prevention of diseases as necrotizing fasciitis or carnivist disease. People can also get Vibrio Vulnificus if they eat contaminated foods, especially raw oysters. It is unclear how people were infected in Florida.
The CDC says about 1 out of 5 people with a Vibrio volnificus infection.
Antarpreet Jutla, an engineering professor at the University of Florida, who examines Vibrio bacteria, said that Vibrio Vulnificus infections are still rare, although they tend to increase according to hurricanes. In the past year, Florida saw a total of 82 cases, which may have been tightened by the “extremely active” hurricane season.
What is Vibrio Vulnificus?
Vibrio Vulnificus is one of over 200 types of Vibrio bacteria, said Rita Colwell, an emeritus professor of microbiology at the University of Maryland.
The majority of the Vibrio infections are not harmful to humans, said Jutla. Some only affect other animals.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Vibrio bacteria cause 80,000 infections in humans every year. Most of these cases are gastrointestinal. Only a small handful – 100 to 200 cases – are due to Vibrio Vulnificus. Other types of vibrio, including Vibrio Parahaemolyticus and Vibrio Alginolyticus, are often the cause of these stomach diseases. Another kind of vibrio, vibrio cholorae, causes diarrhea -Cholera.
Since Vibrio bacteria prefer warm water, they are typically located along the southeastern coasts of the USA, but are also found on the west coast. When the sea temperatures were warm, further cases have been found further north in recent years, said Jutla, including some in New York, Connecticut and Maryland.
Who is at risk?
Vibrio bacteria can crawl in open wounds after spending time with salty or brackel water, said Dr. Norman Beatty, a doctor for infectious diseases at the health of the University of Florida. Most cases he saw were associated with the expenditure of the long time in the water, but he says that a short exposure “is the only thing that is necessary”.
Visible signs of an infection can start in just a few hours, said Beatty, and encompassed redness, swelling and “bull -eye” blastmin. The page will also be painful. As the infection progresses, it can get into the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can be fatal. According to the CDC, the symptoms of sepsis are fever, chills and dangerously low blood pressure.
People with cirrhosis of the liver, weakened immune system and over 65 years are the most exposed to infection risks, said Jutla.
Vibrio Vulnificus infections can be treated with antibiotics.
How to prevent Vibrio infections
Beatty said he recommends covering up open wounds before going into the ocean. Even a waterproof pavement does the job, he said.
If people think they have an infection, they should look for care immediately, said Beatty. The delay can be the difference between the development of serious complications and easier infection.
“A delay in the presentation of health care is really the likely reason why most people have a more serious result than others,” he said. “People who present themselves on the same day with signs and symptoms of an early infection who receive antibiotics can do well and avoid many of these serious complications.”
This article was originally published on nbcnews.com
