Spending some time swimming in warm ocean waters this summer?
You could be bathing in a sea of flesh eating bacteria.
Hey I’m Carin for DNews and today I’ve got a warning for folks hitting the beach
in any of the Gulf Coast states.
The health department in Sarasota, Florida has confirmed that infection by the bacterium
Vibrio vulnificus is responsible for at least one recent death there.
In fact, it’s responsible for 10 deaths so far this year.
According to a study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases 100 people are infected
each year, resulting in approximately 50 deaths.
This bacterium is particularly harmful because it can infect us in two different ways.
First, we can contract it by eating raw or undercooked seafood like oysters, and second,
it can invade our bodies through pre-existing lesions - cuts, scrapes, blisters.
Once you get infected, you will feel the symptoms right away and they are violent.
If ingested, the bacterium causes severe stomach ache, vomiting, diarhhea and septicemia - a
life-threatening condition that worsens extremely quickly.
If the Vibrio bacteria are contracted through a skin lesion, wound infection can cause tissue
breakdown, resulting in large disfiguring ulcers that require skin grafts or even limb
amputation.
In both cases immediate treatment with antibiotics is critical, patients not treated for 3 days
after being infected have a death rate of 100%.
Now, why isn’t the world in a mass panic over this deadly bacteria?
Well, it’s actually a normal part of the microbial communities in most tropical coastal
waters.
But having skin lesions puts you at a much greater risk of contracting an infection.
If you have an open sore of any kind, it’s not a great idea to go swimming in Sarasota
right now.
If you do have a cut or you get one from a sharp coral or sea urchin spine - disinfect
it right away!
And, if you’re a connoisseur of raw oysters, it may be a good idea to focus on ones from
cooler Northern climates.
Vigilance is key in preventing an infection by this bacteria.
In addition, experts note that those with compromised immune systems and notably with
liver disease, are much more likely to contract an infection than healthy individuals.
What makes the bacteria so lethal is a toxin located in its cell walls.
It’s called a lipopolysaccharide or LPS, and interestingly, females are protected against
its effects by the production of estrogen.
Almost all reported cases of infection by Vibrio bacteria are in males, not females.
Studies looking at the effects of LPS done in rats showed a rapid death rate for males
but not females; however, when females had their ovaries removed both sexes exhibited
the same death rates.
In addition to the LPS, the bacteria contain a number of other compounds that facilitate
its virulence and infection rate, including numerous tissue degrading enzymes.
Vibrio bacteria are especially virulent in the warm summer months, they actually go into
a more dormant state when water temperatures are cooler.
Because they thrive in warm waters, overall increases in ocean temperatures due to global
warming means that their ranges are expanding.
As temperatures continue to climb, scientists expect a parallel increase in death rate caused
by Vibrio-related infections.
Do you think that risk of a potentially deadly bacteria will keep you out of the water?
Let us know in the comments below and keep coming back for more DNews every day of the
week.