Seawater Bacteria Cases Reach Highest Point in Years

The number of vibrio vulnificus cases confirmed in Florida in 2015 has officially outpaced the past seven years, according to the Florida Department of Health.

That agency keeps a running county-by-county tally of confirmed cases and deaths. It also posts historical data related to cases of the potentially deadly bacteria going back to 2008. In 2015 so far, the state has logged 42 cases with 13 reported deaths. Many of those cases occurred in the Tampa Bay area. In 2014, there were 32 cases reported statewide with seven deaths. The numbers in 2013 were higher with 41 cases confirmed and 12 deaths.

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.

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.

According to state records, updated Nov. 13, the number of cases reported in the Tampa Bay area in 2015 by county are as follows:

• Hillsborough County – Five reported cases, three deaths
• Manatee County – One reported case, no deaths
• Pasco County – One reported case, no deaths
• Pinellas County – One reported case, one death
• Polk County – Three reported cases, one death
• Sarasota County – Two reported cases, one death

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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