CONNECTICUT — The second of the three Connecticut residents who were exposed to a very rare flesh-eating bacteria has been reported dead.
The three patients were between 60-80 years of age, and all were hospitalized earlier this summer. Both deaths occurred in July, according to DPH spokesperson Chris Boyle. The first was reported July 28, the second this week.
The bacteria Vibrio vulnificus can cause severe infections when in contact with saltwater, brackish waters or contact with raw or undercooked shellfish.
Two of the three infections reported in Connecticut were wound infections not associated with seafood. The third infection was a Connecticut resident that consumed raw oysters not harvested from Long Island Sound at an out-of-state establishment. No Connecticut shellfish have ever been associated with Vibrio vulnificus illnesses, according to state Department of Agriculture spokesperson Rebecca Eddy.
The department’s Bureau of Aquaculture routinely monitors oyster harvest areas statewide for vibrio levels during the summer months. Samples are screened for levels of total vibrio bacteria and then Vibrio vulnificus and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus levels, according to the bureau.
People with a Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About one in five people with this type of infection die. People at greatest risk for illness from the infection are those with weakened immune systems and the elderly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some Vibrio vulnificus infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies, inspiring the “flesh-eating bacteria” moniker. The necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by more than one type of bacteria, according to the CDC.
- Watery diarrhea, often accompanied by stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever
- For bloodstream infection: fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions
- For wound infection, which may spread to the rest of the body: fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, and discharge (leaking fluids).
To reduce your chance of getting this type of infection, the CDC suggests following these precautions:
- Don’t eat raw or undercooked oysters or other shellfish.
- If you have a wound (including from a recent surgery, piercing, or tattoo), stay out of saltwater or brackish water, if possible. This includes wading at the beach.
- Cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if it could come into contact with saltwater, brackish water, marine life, or raw or undercooked seafood and its juices. This contact can happen during everyday activities, such as swimming, fishing, or walking on the beach.
- Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water after they have contact with saltwater, brackish water, marine life, raw seafood, or its juices.