If the wound becomes red or appears infected, seek immediate medical care.
If the wound does get exposed to potentially infected waters, wash all wounds with antimicrobial soap and clean water. If you’re going to go into the water, use a waterproof bandage to prevent wound contamination. Avoid salt and brackish waters if you have an open wound including simple scrapes and open cuts. After cooking seafood, properly refrigerate leftovers to prevent warming. Always wash your hands with antimicrobial soap after handling raw oysters. The CDC offers the following tips to reduce your risk of vibriosis: However, a few safety tips can decrease the chance of you contracting the illness. While risk factors do increase your chances of contracting Vibrio vulnificus, the authors attribute the increase in cases in the Delaware Bay partly to climate change.ĭespite the news headlines, you can still enjoy the beach, oysters, and the coastal waters. Two had hepatitis, two had previous injuries while crabbing, and another had diabetes - all things that put you at higher risk for infection from Vibrio vulnificus. In all 5 cases, the patients were men between the ages of 38 and 64 who presented to the hospital with necrotizing fasciitis after marine life exposure at work and through consumption.Īll of the men involved had preexisting conditions. However, the study authors found that after further investigation, there were at least five cases in the same Delaware Bay region, just between 20. In a recently published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that between 20 there was only one case of Vibrio vulnificus infection reported at a hospital in the Delaware Bay region, where the water is often colder than ideal for the bacteria. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It affects people of all ages - you can be healthy and get the infection. “People are concerned because this is a very dramatic infection. While the bacteria has been making headlines across the United States, the CDC estimates that Vibrio vulnificus causes only about 205 infections in the United States each year. 
However, if caught early, this infection can be promptly treated with antibiotics.Īlthough you can find Vibrio vulnificus in all coastal waters of the United States, it’s usually found in the warmer waters in the Southeast regions of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. This is a soft tissue infection that progresses to the muscles and organs resulting in rapid destruction of tissues. In rare cases, the Vibrio infection can cause necrotizing fasciitis. Others encounter the bacteria through open wounds while swimming in infected waters. Most commonly, people become infected with the bacteria by eating raw and undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. There are higher concentrations of the bacteria during the warmer months as warm water temperatures - greater than 68☏ - allow the species to thrive. It’s found in the coastal waters according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multiple types of Vibrio bacteria can cause tens of thousands of infections in the United States every year.īut it’s Vibrio vulnificus, one of a dozen species of this Vibrio bacteria, that has been making headlines this summer.
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