Florida reports 13 deaths from rare flesh-eating bacteria after hurricanes
Thirteen people have died in Florida this year from infections with rare flesh-eating bacteria, amid a spike in cases linked to hurricane activity in the state.
Florida health authorities said there have been 74 confirmed cases Vibrio vulnificus infections in 2024, compared to 46 cases and 11 deaths in 2023.
Vibrio vulnificus is “a naturally occurring bacterium in warm, brackish seawater” that requires salt to live, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Authorities attributed the surge to Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida last month with breakneck winds and a historic storm surge. The storm then moved into southern Appalachia and devastated western North Carolina with deadly flooding and landslides, killing about 100 people there.
“In 2024, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties will experience an unusual increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene,” the department said. said. Hurricane Milton struck Florida on October 9 as a powerful Category 3 storm; At least 20 people were killed by the storm, many of them linked to a tornado outbreak that occurred before landfall.
Florida health authorities said: “Vibrio bacteria, which are common in warm coastal waters, can cause illness when ingested or when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water.”
“After heavy rainfall and flooding, the concentration of these bacteria can increase, especially in brackish and saltwater environments,” she added.
Once infected, Vibrio vulnificus can lead to the breakdown of skin and soft tissue, USA Today said. To prevent the infection from spreading, doctors may need to amputate the infected limb, although the infection can be fatal.
This isn’t the first year that disastrous weather has resulted in a Vibrio outbreak in Florida. In 2022 there were 74 cases and 17 deaths; health officials noted that Collier and Lee counties saw “an unusual increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian.”
While some Vibrio infections lead to necrotizing fasciitisthe serious infection that kills flesh around an open wound, public health authorities believe that a species Streptococci is actually the most common cause of this condition in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some experts have done that refused when using ‘meat eating’ to describe serious Vibrio infection, noting that even with prolonged exposure it cannot destroy healthy and intact skin.