Louisiana reported nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection this year, including five deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health. The state has averaged seven cases and one death during the same period in previous years, it said.
All nine cases reported in Louisiana this year were linked to wounds exposed to seawater, Fox News reported citing the Louisiana Department of Health. All nine patients also had underlying medical conditions, according to the department.
The bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and appear in higher numbers from May through October, when water temperatures rise, reported ABC News citing the Louisiana Department of Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Vibrio vulnificus can cause vibriosis, an infection that may affect the digestive system, wounds or the bloodstream. The bacteria can enter the body when an open wound comes into contact with contaminated saltwater or brackish water. People can also become infected after eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters.
The CDC stated severe Vibrio vulnificus infections can become life-threatening, reported Fox News. About one in five people with the infection die, sometimes within one or two days of becoming ill.
How does the infection spread?
According to CDC, the bacteria can enter the body when an open wound comes into contact with warm saltwater or brackish water. This can happen through cuts, scrapes or other wounds.
The bacteria can also spread through food. The CDC says people can develop vibriosis after eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, reported Fox News.
Vibrio vulnificus infection can cause watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. It can also cause serious wound infections.
In some cases, the infection can enter the bloodstream and cause fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions, reported Fox News citing CDC. Some Vibrio vulnificus infections can also lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies.
The CDC says some reports refer to this as “flesh-eating bacteria”. However, necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by more than one type of bacteria.
The CDC says people with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, thalassemia or weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe illness.
Louisiana’s current cases also involved people with underlying medical conditions, reported Fox News citing the state health department.
How can people stay safe?
Louisiana health officials have urged people to take precautions when entering warm coastal waters. People with open wounds should avoid saltwater and brackish water. Anyone who does enter the water should protect cuts and wounds with waterproof coverings.
The CDC also recommends avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish, reported Fox News. Properly cooking shellfish can kill harmful bacteria.
People should seek medical attention if a wound exposed to coastal water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discoloured.
Louisiana health officials specifically advised people to tell their healthcare provider about any recent exposure to brackish or saltwater.
Severe infections may require antibiotics, hospital treatment or surgery to remove infected tissue. The CDC says early treatment can improve the chances of survival.