A potentially deadly flesh-eating bacteria which thrives in warm saltwater has already killed two people in Florida this year, a state health official warned on Wednesday.
While the bacteria has proven fatal for two individuals, Florida Health Department spokeswoman Mara Burger indicated that the state has actually seen a total of seven infections this year.
Burger was quoted by ABC News as having said in a statement that “people with open wounds can be exposed” to the bacteria — known as Vibrio vulnificus — “through direct contact with seawater.”
People can get infected with Vibrio vulnificus when they eat raw shellfish (…) Since it is naturally found in warm marine waters, people with open wounds can be exposed to Vibrio vulnificus through direct contact with seawater.
The Florida Department of Health released a Q&A in which they answered some common questions about Vibrio and some tips on how to avoid infection, The Huntsville Times reported. According to the Q&A, oysters are particularly infectious as far as raw shellfish consumption is concerned and those with open wounds can be exposed to infection through direct contact with seawater, however, there is no evidence supporting person-to-person transmissions.
According to the CDC, most cases occur within the Gulf Coast states.
In other news, a photographer by the name of John Bailey managed to snap an impressive picture of a bobcat dragging a shark out of the Florida ocean.
Are you surprised by the existence of this flesh-eating bacteria in the warm waters of the Sunshine State?
