Vibrio vulnificus, also known as “flesh-eating” bacteria, has infected 11 people in Florida this summer, killing four.
The deaths happened in Hillsborough, Bay, Broward and St. Johns counties, according to the Florida Department of Health's most recent report, which was released July 11.
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Cases have also been reported in Duval, Escambia, Lee, Manatee, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties.
Norman Beatty is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Florida. He is also a practicing infectious disease doctor at UF Health.
He said people need to be on alert during the summer, when temperatures rise in saltwater or brackish (somewhat salty) water — conditions that allow the bacteria to thrive.
There are two common ways people get exposed to Vibrio vulnificus.
“We can consume it through contaminated shellfish, specifically oysters,” he said.
Beatty said that if someone ingests the bacteria through shellfish, initial symptoms may include stomachaches and diarrhea.
“We can also introduce it through our skin through a cut, when we are submerged in water that's contaminated with the bacteria, through that wound,” he said.
Beatty said this is the most common way people are stricken by Vibrio vulnificus, which causes a necrotizing type of infection.
After making contact with the bacteria, symptoms include the wound opening, and increasing redness, pain and swelling.
Beatty said it is essential to recognize the symptoms because a Vibrio vulnificus infection can become life-threatening if not caught early.
The infection progresses quickly, within hours, and so informing doctors about recent contact with brackish water or saltwater may lead to the proper diagnosis.
“A delay, in my experience, has led to heightened complications, including, at times, an amputation of a finger, hand or a leg, and even people who have unfortunately passed away,” he said.
Beatty said treatments exist, but only for those who seek medical attention in time. They typically involve antibiotics, and sometimes more than one simultaneously.
In the most advanced affliction, surgery may be necessary to remove the infection from a body part.
Beatty said people who are immunocompromised, have chronic liver disease or liver cirrhosis, or are elderly have a heightened risk of contracting an infection and developing the most severe response to it.
This is because their immune system is too weak to fight the infection effectively.
Still, Beatty said anyone could get infected.
“I have seen patients who are young and healthy, who go kayaking or go fishing, and they get a cut on their extremity, and they get a Vibrio vulnificus infection,” he said.
Beatty said it is essential to keep a keen eye out this summer for any activities that can cause a break in the skin.
Beatty said people with a wound going into brackish water or saltwater need to find a way to avoid contamination by using a bandage or allowing it to heal.
If someone gets a wound in the water, Beatty explained, they should get out of the water immediately and clean it using bottled water and soap.
After that, they should consider avoiding further exposure to the water and monitor for symptoms.
“With the summer moving forward, we really just need to be aware that this is an infection that's found in our waters, as well as just have a heightened awareness of these risks and try to prevent them,” he said.
