Louisiana officials on Aug. 6 warned people to take steps to avoid a flesh-eating bacteria found in warm coastal waters.
Nine people in Louisiana have dealt with Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria, so far this year. All nine were hospitalized. Five perished.
During the same period of time over the preceding decade, Louisiana averaged seven cases of the bacteria and one death.
The patients this year all had wounds exposed to seawater, officials said. They also all had underlying health conditions.
The bacteria are found in warm coastal waters. The bacteria’s numbers grow from May to October, as temperatures rise. People can become infected when they have an open wound and are exposed to brackish or salt water. Another infection pathway is eating raw or undercooked seafood, such as oysters.
The Louisiana Department of Health said in an alert that people who encounter water that is brackish, or a mixture of salt and fresh water commonly found where rivers meet oceans, or salt water, and see that a wound they have becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored should immediately seek medical care.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, skin discoloration, redness around the wound, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and watery diarrhea.
Typically, about one in five people with the infection die, sometimes within two days of becoming ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Any individual can become infected by the bacteria, but the risk of severe complications is highest among people who have recently undergone stomach surgery, take medicine that reduces stomach acid, receive any immune-suppressing treatments, or have liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or the thalassemia blood disorder.
People who are at high risk should wear protective clothing and footwear that will help prevent cuts and scrapes in coastal water, the department said. They should also don gloves when handling raw seafood.
The general population should stay out of brackish and salt water if they have an open wound, such as a piercing or scrape, officials said.
Other recommended steps to avoid Vibrio infection are:
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Cover wounds with a waterproof bandage if there is a risk they could come into contact with brackish water, salt water, raw seafood, or juices from raw seafood.
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Wash wounds thoroughly with soap after possible exposure to brackish water, salt water, raw seafood, or juices from raw seafood.
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Cook seafood thoroughly.
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Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.
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Keep cooked seafood separate from raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.