Because of its need for salt for survival, the vibrio vulnificus bacteria is said to call warm, brackish waters home.
Officials in Florida have confirmed 26 instances of vibrio vulnificus infections since January.
Florida authorities verified the deaths of five persons in the Tampa Bay region from the flesh-eating bacteria often found on beaches.
Two persons in Hillsborough County and one in Pasco, Polk, and Sarasota counties have died from bacterial diseases this year.
There were a total of 74 cases and 17 fatalities in 2022.
Warmer temperatures speed the bacteria’s growth.
Health experts recommend avoiding the water if you have cuts, scratches, or other open wounds.
Due to sewage being released into the ocean by Hurricane Ian, those statistics were highly high that year.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe illness that causes the tissue surrounding an open incision to die, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than one kind of bacterium may trigger necrotizing fasciitis.
Infection with Vibrio vulnificus may result in skin disintegration and ulceration.
Although anybody may get a Vibrio vulnificus infection, those with compromised immune systems are more likely to have severe symptoms.
Infection by this bacteria is potentially fatal since it may spread throughout the body through circulation, resulting in symptoms such as high body temperature, chills, low blood pressure, and blistering skin sores.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in five persons who become sick from it will die within a week.
Eating raw or undercooked oysters and shellfish may also get you sick due to Vibrio vulnificus.
One New Yorker and two Connecticut people died from vibrio vulnificus infections during the summer, prompting the New York State Department of Health to issue guidelines on recognizing the bacteria last week.
Governor Kathy Hochul warned her residents to take measures against the flesh-eating disease, calling it “extraordinarily hazardous.”
For those with compromised immune systems, avoid raw or undercooked shellfish that may carry the bacteria.
