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Flesh-eating bacteria kill at least 7 along Gulf Coast. Here's how to protect yourself.
CBS News • • health
Key Points:
- At least seven people have died this year along the Gulf Coast from infections caused by vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm seawater, with two deaths in Florida and five in Louisiana.
- The bacteria can enter the body through open wounds or by consuming raw shellfish, and the CDC reports that about 20% of infected individuals nationwide die from the infection.
- Cases have been detected as far north as New York and Maryland, where health officials are warning residents to be cautious about swimming in brackish waters, with climate change contributing to the bacteria's spread to more northern regions.
- People with underlying health conditions such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or those on immune-suppressing treatments are at higher risk and should avoid swimming in potentially contaminated waters if they have open wounds.
- Symptoms of infection include fever, wound discoloration or discharge, pain, redness, swelling, chills, nausea, and vomiting; immediate cleaning of wounds exposed to such waters is advised to reduce infection risk.
