The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a national health alert warning healthcare providers to be on the lookout for the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus.
The advisory comes after what the CDC described as “recent reports of fatal Vibrio vulnificus infections, including wound and foodborne infections and to “urge healthcare professionals to consider V. vulnificus as a possible cause of infected wounds that were exposed to coastal waters, particularly near the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast, and during periods with warmer coastal sea surface temperatures.”
The alert was issued after an uptick in vibrio infections, including eight deaths, five of which were in Florida. In a typical year, the CDC reports about 80,000 people are infected and 100 die from some form of vibrio.
Vibrio infections – called vibriosis – are caused by bacteria found naturally in warm salt or brackish water, like bay or gulf waters, as well as by consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood, particularly oysters. In rare cases, vibriosis infects the skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater. Open wounds can include those from recent surgeries, piercings, tattoos or routine cuts and scrapes.
Also, extreme weather events, such as coastal floods, hurricanes, and storm surges, can force coastal waters into inland areas, putting people who are exposed to these waters—especially evacuees who are older or have underlying health conditions—at increased risk for infections, the CDC noted.
It’s called a “flesh-eating” bacteria because severe cases can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a rare but highly deadly infection. Infections typically peak in water from May to October when water temperatures are warmer.
Symptoms of vibriosis – the illness caused by the bacteria – include watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, shock, skin lesions and wound infections. Symptoms typically appear anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days after exposure.
Infections can be particularly dangerous for people with compromised immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease.
How to protect yourself against vibriosis from the Alabama Department of Public Health:
- Don’t eat raw or undercooked shellfish, such as oysters
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.
- If you have a wound, including from a recent surgery, piercing or tattoo, avoid contact with salt water or brackish water
- If you do have a wound and enter the water, cover it with a waterproof bandage if there’s a possibility it could come into contact with salt water or brackish water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.
- Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to seawater or raw seafood or its juices
- If you develop a skin infection, tell your medical provider if your skin has come into contact with salt water or brackish water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.