A warmer sea offers good conditions for all kinds of bacteria.
Now, warm surface temperatures along US coasts are leading to an acute spread of the deadly bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, resulting in five tragic deaths.
Strong dispersion in warm water
The US health authorities therefore urgently advise Americans to be very careful on the coast.
People should stay well away from salt water if they have an open wound and leave the water immediately if they injure themselves while swimming.
Wounds should be covered with waterproof bandages, shellfish should be cooked before eating, and people should wash their hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.
The Vibrio bacteria currently threatening U.S. beachgoers normally lives in salt or brackish water in those same coastal areas, but elevated surface temperatures in coastal waters and widespread heat waves this summer have pushed the risk level for infections from low to moderate to high .
Rising coastal water temperatures have previously been linked to an increasing number of Vibrio infections between 1988 and 2018.
Attacks under the skin
An untreated infection can spread throughout the body and lead to blood poisoning. Therefore, anyone with an infected wound should seek immediate medical attention.
‘About 1 in 5 people die after an infection, often within a few days. Therefore, prompt treatment is essential to reduce the mortality rate from severe V. vulnificus infection,” warns het Amerikaanse National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The flesh-eating disease can be caused by many strains of bacteria. Some thrive on land and others in the water.
The bacteria do not actually eat meat, but secrete toxins that cause the blood to clot and clot. This stops the blood and oxygen supply to the infected area and causes the muscle tissue to die.
Because the flesh-eating bacteria attack under the skin, the infection can be difficult to detect at first – especially since the swelling can look like an ordinary infection.
In the worst cases, a lot of tissue dies due to flesh-eating bacteria, leading to blood poisoning, organ failure and death.
Anyone can be affected by flesh-eating bacteria, regardless of age, gender and health condition, but children are less at risk.
2023-09-07 19:11:26
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