Surging Cases of Flesh-Eating Bacteria Spook US

Several fatal cases of the disease caused by either contaminated seafood or an open wound's exposure to the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, predominantly found in warm seawater, have been registered in Florida, US, this year. The flesh-eating bacteria typically multiplies faster during hot weather, with infections surging after hurricanes.

A spike in cases of people suffering from infections triggered by the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus has sparked a national health alert in the United States.

The Health Advisory issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on 1 September warned healthcare providers, laboratories, and public health departments about the spate of recent reports of fatal Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus ) infections.

X Screenshot of health alert issued in Florida by the Department of Health over safety risks linked to flesh-eating Vibrio vulnificus bacteria.

© Photo : HealthyFla/X

Medics were advised to consider V. vulnificus as a “possible cause of infection in wounds that were exposed to coastal waters,” particularly near the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast, during warm weather, and in cases of patients with “underlying health conditions.”

Vibrio bacteria species that inhabit warm coastal waters cause close to 80,000 illnesses annually across the US, according to the CDC. But it is the one particular species, V. vulnificus, that is fraught with life-threatening infection. Although a majority of people suffer from it after eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, some get infected when an open wound is exposed to salt water.

The bacteria causes sepsis, serious wound infections and gastroenteritis. Diarrhea, stomach cramping, vomiting and fever, are some of the symptoms of a Vibrio vulnificus infection, according to the CDC. If untreated, it may result in death.

X Screenshot featuring images of flesh-eating Vibrio vulnificus bacteria amid cases discovered in US.

© Photo : gregsart/X

Research shows that the disease resulting from the bacterial infection is fatal in one in five people who fall victim to it. The flesh-eating bacteria caused five deaths in the Bay Area of Florida since the start of the year, according to official figures. Eating raw shellfish containing the bug has been linked to two deaths in Connecticut. As the US recorded heatwaves in July and August, North Carolina and New York similarly reported more fatal V. vulnificus infections.

There is another factor that scientists point to – the fallout from hurricanes and floods. When last year’s Hurricane Ian pummeled Florida, 38 cases and 11 deaths attributed to the bacteria were recorded. More recently, Hurricane Idalia, and the floodwaters it caused, have also been viewed as a source of heightened infection risk.

US National Guards are seen as they help clean up the city of Keaton Beach, Florida, on August 30, 2023 after Hurricane Idalia made landfall. Idalia slammed into northwest Florida as an "extremely dangerous" Category 3 storm early Wednesday, buffeting coastal communities with cascades of water as officials warned of "catastrophic" flooding in parts of the southern US state.

© AFP 2023 / CHANDAN KHANNA