Flesh-eating bacteria are causing record levels of deadly infections in Florida after Hurricane Ian, state health officials have warned. Hurricane Ian ripped through the southeast US late last month, causing devastating floods and killing more than 100 people.
Now that the storm has settled, however, there has been a surge in Vibrio vulnificus infections — a type of bacteria found in warm seawater.
It is sometimes known as a flesh-eating bacteria as skin infections can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a serious illness where the flesh surrounding a wound dies.
There have already been nearly as many infections in the past few weeks as there were for the entirety of 2021.
The Florida department of health in Lee County is warning people who have open wounds or cuts to avoid floodwater or seawater.
V. vulnificus is a highly deadly bacterial infection that kills one in five people it infects, usually by entering the bloodstream and causing sepsis.
Other symptoms include fever, chills, skin lesions, and a deadly drop in blood pressure.
Case numbers for the deadly infection have shot up in Florida this year, though deaths have so far remained steady. The spike is due to flooding from Hurricane Ian, Florida’s health department has warned
The infection can occur after eating raw or undercooked seafood, or coming into contact with its juices. People with weakened immune systems — particularly those with chronic liver disease or who take medicine that reduces the body’s ability to fight off germs — are most at risk
Hurricane Ian makes landfall sparking flooding and damage to homes in Fort Myers, Florida. The rise in cases in due to flooding from the hurricane, the Florida department of health in Lee County said
The deadly infections are caused by the V. vulnificus bacterium, referred to as a flesh-eating bacteria as skin infections can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, where the flesh surrounding a wound dies
A record 65 cases of the V. vulnificus infection have been recorded in Florida this year, more than any other year since data collection began in 2008.
There have been 11 deaths in total.
Lee County, which was hardest hit by Ian, has seen four deaths and 29 cases of the infection this year, official data shows.
But there was an ‘abnormal increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian’, officials said, with all but one of the cases coming in the past few weeks.
The bacteria can enter the body when open cuts, wounds and scratches are exposed to seawater, causing ‘life-threatening wound infections’, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
An infection can also occur when someone consumes raw or undercooked fished.
Roughly one in five people with the infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill, and others will need intensive care or limb amputations.
What is Vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio vulnificus, also known as V. vulnificus, is a species of bacteria found in salty water.
It can enter the body when when open cuts, wounds and scratches are exposed to seawater.
It can also be passed on when cuts come into contact with raw or undercooked seafood, or if it is eaten.
You cannot be infected from another person.
It can cause severe illness or death.
If it enters the bloodstream, it can cause sepsis — the body’s most extreme response to an infection.
Symptoms include fever, chills, skin lesions, and decreased blood pressure causing septic shock. It can also lead to organ failure and sometimes death.
V. vulnificus is known as a flesh-eating bacteria because it can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, where the flesh surrounding a wound dies.
Roughly 1 in 5 people with the infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill, and others will need intensive care or limb amputations.
Anyone can get the infection, but it can be worse for people with weakened immune systems — particularly those with chronic liver disease or who take medicine that reduces the body’s ability to fight off germs.
The bacteria occurs naturally in warm salty water, and so the flooding from Hurricane Ian has caused a spike in infections.
Sewage spills in coastal waters as a result of the hurricane also promote growth of the bacteria, meaning there is an increased risk of V. vulnificus infections.
Warmer waters as a result of climate change are also thought to be a factor.
Anyone can get the infection, but it can be worse for people with weakened immune systems — particularly those with chronic liver disease or who take medicine that reduces the body’s ability to fight off germs.
The infection is not spread person-to-person.
People with wound infections or who think they may have been exposed to V. vulnificus and are experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, Florida’s health department advised.
The bacteria occurs naturally in warm salty water, and so the flooding from Hurricane Ian has caused a spike in infections.
Sewage spills in coastal waters as a result of the hurricane also promote growth of the bacteria, meaning there is an increased risk of infections.
Warmer waters as a result of climate change are also thought to be a factor.
The county health department told CBS News: ‘The Florida Department of Health in Lee County is observing an abnormal increase in cases of V. vulnificus infections as a result of exposure to the flood waters and standing waters following Hurricane Ian.’
It said people should ‘always be aware of the potential risks associated when exposing open wounds, cuts, or scratches on the skin to warm, brackish, or salt water’.
Brackish water is a combination of fresh and salt water, often found where rivers meet the sea.
It added: ‘Sewage spills, like those caused from Hurricane Ian, may increase bacteria levels. As the post-storm situation evolves, individuals should take precautions against infection and illness caused by V. vulnificus.’
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 22 cases of V. vulnificus and five deaths.
Cases are rarely found in the UK due to the colder waters.
Around 22 cases are reported to Public Health England every year, mostly off the back of foreign travel.
The Florida department of health of Lee County advised people with open wounds, cuts or scratches to stay out of flood water, standing water sea water and brackish water where possible.
If they come into contact with any of this water, or the raw or undercooked seafood and its juices, cuts should be cleaned straight away with soap and clean running or bottled water.
Wounds at risk of coming into contact with potentially infected water should be covered with a waterproof bandage.
If a wound develops redness, swelling, or oozing, or other signs of infection occur including fever, increasing pain, shortness of breath, fast or high heart rate, or confusion or disorientation, medical care should be sought out immediately.
Experts had previously warned of hidden health risks from Hurricane Ian’s storms, including super-asthma.
Intense storms sweep up tons of pollen and other respiratory allergens which can irritate the lungs of asthmatics, intensifying symptoms.
This raises the risk of asthma attacks, with several studies showing they spike during and just after thunderstorms.
This phenomenon is known as thunder asthma or thunder hay fever.
And as flood waters surge into treatment plans they will mix chemicals, human waste and maybe even dead animals with drinking water, making it unsafe to use.
There could also be a wave of mental health issues following the mass destruction.
For some this will lead to behavioral issues as people struggle to cope with loss, including some turning to alcohol and drugs.
