Flesh-eating bacteria continues to be a fatal problem in Florida, causing 26 cases of necrotizing fasciitis and five deaths so far this year, according to updated data from state health officials.
The bacteria, scientific name Vibrio vulnificus, can be ingested by eating raw shellfish, oysters in particular, as well as by exposing open wounds to warm seawater that is more likely to be contaminated, the Florida Department of Health said.
While for healthy individuals the bacterial symptoms are milder, the very young, the elderly and the immunocompromised are at risk for more intense symptoms. In addition to the skin breakdown, wound infection and ulcers, victims can also suffer fever, chills, septic shock and blistering skin lesions, state health officials said.
The data, current as of Friday, also shows that not all Florida counties are affected equally.
For example, Hillsborough County has had four cases and two deaths, and Escambia County has had four cases and no deaths; Dade, Duval, Palm Beach, Volusia and Pinellas counties are among 17 statewide that have not yet had any cases.
One victim each also died from the bacteria in Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties, FDOH data showed.
State health officials said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission; however, a Hillsborough County resident suffered a case in February that doctors linked to an incidental bite he received breaking up a fight between two relatives.
“A human bite is dirtier than a dog bite as far as the kinds of bacteria that grows. Normal bacteria in an abnormal spot can be a real problem,” Dr. Fritz Brink, an HCA Florida Northside Hospital general surgeon and wound care specialist, told the Tampa Bay Times.
While doctors could not determine whether or not the bacteria was airborne or human-borne before entering Mr. Adams’ wound, they were certain that a bite from a person ultimately led to Mr. Adams’ infection.
Historical data from FDOH also shows that hurricane season can lead to a spike in infections as warm seawater is spread farther inland by storms. In 2022, Lee County, Florida, had 28 cases and eight deaths linked to flesh-eating bacteria, exacerbated by Hurricane Ian.
Flesh-eating bacteria is not a problem limited to Florida.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a report in late July that three Vibrio cases had led to death in the state thus far in 2023. Two of the cases were linked exclusively to wounds exposed to warm seawater; the third victim both exposed wounds to seawater and consumed seafood they caught themselves.
A recent death in Suffolk County, New York, has also been linked to Vibrio vulnificus.
“While rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement last week, adding that New Yorkers should take precautions such as “protecting open wounds from seawater and for those with compromised immune systems, avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish which may carry the bacteria.”
New York officials continue to investigate whether the bacteria came from the state’s waters or shellfish, or from elsewhere.
Neighboring Connecticut, meanwhile, has had three cases in 2023 as of Friday, with two deaths.
The three victims were all between 60 and 80 years old, with two cases linked to brackish water in Long Island Sound and one case linked to shellfish fished outside the Sound eaten at an out-of-state establishment.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health did not specify which case had a surviving victim. These three cases were the first suffered in the state in three years.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.