Seawater Bacteria Claims Another Tampa Bay Area Life

A 56-year-old man is one of the latest people to succumb to Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacteria found naturally in seawater.

Richard Corley of Winter Haven is believed to have contracted the infection while fishing in late September in Estero Bay, according to several media outlets. Corley went in wade fishing after cutting his leg.

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that is found in warm seawater. People can get infected with it in one of two ways: by eating contaminated raw shellfish or through exposure to contaminated water by swimming with open wounds, said Mara Burger, Florida Department of Health press secretary.

The state has confirmed 37 cases overall for the year and 12 deaths. The most active year in recent history was 2013, which saw 41 cases reported and 12 deaths, state records indicate.

A breakdown of reported cases in the Tampa Bay area in 2015 so far is as follows:

• Hillsborough County – 5 cases, 3 deaths
• Manatee County – 1 case, no deaths
• Pasco County – 1 case, no deaths
• Pinellas County – 1 case, 1 death
• Polk County – 1 case, 1 death
• Sarasota County – 2 cases, 1 death

The state’s confirmed case count was last updated on Oct. 2.

Burger stresses the bacteria doesn’t pose risks for normally healthy people who don’t “have open cuts or wounds” who swim in Florida’s salt or brackish waters.

Vibrio vulnificus is often called the “flesh-eating” bacteria, but that’s not a wholly accurate label, Burger said. Most people who come into contact with the bacteria don’t show severe symptoms. Signs of exposure in normally healthy people include such symptoms as stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains on its website that consumption of contaminated shellfish or open-wound exposure among immunocompromised people, “particularly those with chronic liver disease can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.”

When open wounds come in contact with Vibrio vulnificus, the CDC says infections that arise “may lead to skin breakdown and ulceration.” When that breakdown of skin tissue occurs, it’s caused by a serious complication, known as Necrotizing Fasciitis. It’s that complication that gives rise to the “flesh-eating” moniker.

To find out more about the bacteria and safety measures that can be taken, visit the Florida Department of Health online.

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