Flesh-Eating Bacteria Found In Fish At Seattle Store

SEATTLE, WA - A local man has been sickened by a rare form of flesh-eating bacteria linked to fish from grocery store tanks. This is the second such case in the area recently - a woman was sickened by Vibrio vulnificus in November after cutting her hand while preparing tilapia purchased at a Bellevue seafood store.

When ingested, Vibrio can cause an acute gastrointestinal illness. But if the bacteria gets into an open wound, it can cause painful blisters. The woman sickened in the Bellevue case eventually recovered.

In this most recent case, King County health officials say the man, who is in his 40s, cut his hand while preparing the fish. He bought the fish at the Seattle Supermarket on Beacon Hill. The store has discarded all its fish and cleaned out fish tanks. Health investigators are working to find the source of the contaminated product.

Still, the flesh-eating version of Vibrio is rare. The Centers for Disease Control tracked about 900 infections in the U.S. between 1998 and 2006.

Image via Centers for Disease Control