Summer beachgoers across the United States are on high alert after another death caused by a flesh-eating bacteria lurking in the water.
A Rhode Island resident became the latest victim to die from Vibrio vulnificus this week, marking the first death in the state since 2017.
His death came after the tragic death of a Texas father who was wading through the water in flip-flops.
Vibriosis, the infection caused by Vibrio, kills about one in five patients, some within days.
In the most extreme cases, the bacteria causes necrotizing fasciitis, which basically eats you from the inside out and rots away your flesh.
Dangerous bacteria lurking in coastal waters, as well as in rivers and lakes, are becoming more prevalent as ocean temperatures rise. MRSA and enterococcus are other examples of harmful bacteria.
Eating shellfish that harbor the bacteria can also cause life-threatening sepsis, an immune response so strong that the body begins to attack its own cells.
The Rhode Island Department of Health has not yet responded to questions about which beach the resident had visited or whether officials conducted testing in surrounding areas to look for evidence that the bacteria is more widespread.
Still, they urge anyone with an open wound, a new piercing or a tattoo to stay away from the ocean, rivers and lakes this summer.
Vibrio thrives in warm seawater and in the mix of fresh and salt water found where rivers and oceans meet.
When bacteria enters an open wound it can enter the bloodstream.
Rhode Island beaches receive about 10,000 visitors in a single day during the summer months, meaning thousands of people could be exposed to bacteria in the water.
It produces a variety of enzymes and toxins that break down proteins, fats and collagen, destroying skin and muscle tissue.
It does this while evading the body’s immune system and resisting immune cells’ attempts to destroy it.
The bacteria trigger an inflammatory response throughout the body, leading to further tissue damage.
Interrupted blood supply to the infected area exacerbates this damage, resulting in death of tissue beneath the skin.
Dr. Jerry Larkin, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, said, “While Vibrio is rare, it is important for anyone at risk to take precautions when spending time in or near brackish or salt water during warm weather.
‘Stay out of the water and take precautions if you have an open wound or skin break, especially if you are at higher risk for serious illness.’
The maps above show projections of the future spread of Vibrio vulnificus, which is driven by rising ocean temperatures.
People at higher risk for severe infection include infants and young children whose immune systems are not fully developed, older people, people with underlying health problems such as diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and pregnant women.
Vibrio sickened 11 people in just three states last summer: North Carolina, New York and Connecticut. The average age of the patients was 70. Four people ultimately went into septic shock and five died.
All but one of these exposures involved exposure of wounds to natural bodies of water.
Already this year, the Florida Department of Health has reported 28 cases of vibriosix of which were fatal.
Meanwhile, in Texas, 33 cases detected On average each year, most occur between May and October.
Randy Bunch, 66, of Texas, contracted the bacteria after going crabbing in flip-flops last month. He had been crabbing in the shallow waters off a boat ramp, a spot he had visited countless times before.
After Adam Perez dipped his toes in some water at a Corpus Christi park, his foot and leg swelled massively and a giant blister formed, due to vibriosis.
Perez had been walking through Waters Edge Park in Corpus Christi and dipped his toes in some water there.
She died just a week later, with bruises and blisters all over her leg. Nausea and flu-like symptoms caused her to swell all over her body. The blisters spread “like wildfire” all over her body before she died.
Also in Texas in 2019, Adam Perez, 42, was hospitalized and lost most of the flesh on the lower half of his right leg after a dangerous fall at Waters Edge Park in Corpus Christi.
He had to undergo four separate surgeries to save his life, including skin grafts on his shattered leg, which will never be the same again.
Some states, such as North Carolina, do not test their coastal waters for the presence of Vibrio bacteria “because they are naturally present in their waters.”
North Carolina is home to 25 different beaches visited by millions of people each year.
The latest 2018 Report Rhode Island officials reported an average case count of 13 per year, with a spike in cases in July.
Infections are typically rare in the Northeast, but public health officials warn they could become more common as global temperatures continue to rise. Warming oceans and lakes make a wider area ripe for harmful bacteria like Vibrio to thrive.
At the time of last year’s outbreak that sickened 11 people, the CDC said: “Although these reported cases during July and August cannot be attributed solely to heat waves, the relationship between the incidence of vibriosis and environmental conditions favorable to Vibrio growth, namely elevated water surface temperatures and low salinity, is well documented.”
People whose open wounds come into contact with salt or brackish water should wash them thoroughly with soap and clean running water.
The chances of dying from a wound infection range from 15 to 30 percent.
If a recently exposed person develops sudden, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and/or a skin infection, he or she should see a doctor immediately, who may prescribe antibiotics.