Key Takeaways:
- In the wake of Hurricane Ian, dangerous vibrio bacteria were released. As the world becomes warmer and wetter, they will become a greater problem.
- Vibrio vulnificus is a species of foodborne illness-causing bacteria that dwells in warm seawater and is known as a “halophilic” organism because it needs salt to survive.
A flesh-eating disease that thrives in brackish floodwaters is infecting people in areas of Florida that were hardest damaged by Hurricane Ian at nearly twice the typical rate. Infections with Vibrio vulnificus caused 65 cases of illness and 11 fatalities in Florida in 2022, according to the Florida Department of Health. 45% of the instances are located in Lee County, where Ian made landfall on September 28 as a category 4 storm.
What is Vibrio Vulnificus?
- Vibrio vulnificus is a foodborne illness-causing bacteria that thrives in warm seawater and is classified as “halophilic” because it needs salt to exist, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
- In addition to growing during the hotter summer months, the bacteria population may also flourish when sewage leaks into coastal seas, as it happened during Hurricane Ian.
- Over West-Central Florida, the storm dumped more than 17 inches of rain, causing surges of up to 12 feet.
How does vibrio vulnificus spread?
- It is possible to contract Vibrio vulnificus infections by consuming raw oysters and shellfish.
- But in the wake of a hurricane, infections frequently begin when cuts, scrapes, or open wounds come into touch with warm brackish water. Ulcers and skin breakdowns follow.
- Rarely do infections with Vibrio vulnificus result in severe disease. Since the Florida Department of Health started disclosing illness data in 2008, this is the first time the state’s case count has exceeded 50.
- Though the infection can become deadly if the bacteria penetrate the circulation and cause symptoms like diarrhoea, stomach cramping, vomiting, fever, and chills in those with compromised immune systems as a result of medicine or chronic illness.
What are the main risks associated with vibrio vulnificus?
- The Florida Department of Health advises citizens to keep in mind that “water and wounds don’t mix” when it comes to preventing infections.
- It warns citizens to stay away from anything that has come into contact with floodwaters and to avoid wading through standing water.
- Those who do come in contact with floodwaters should treat any injuries right away by washing and cleaning them.
- If an infection manifests as redness, seeping, or swelling, you should see a doctor.
- When Florida’s hot weather begins to subside in late October, the population of Vibrio vulnificus will decline, lowering overall danger.
- According to a Florida Department of Health representative who talked to CNN, the number of infections that have been reported has already started to decline since the hurricane’s first impact.
What does this mean for you?
Hurricane Ian struck Florida’s southwest coast, bringing with it a storm surge that inundated the seaside community of Fort Myers with 13 feet of water. Sewers, wastewater pumps, and septic tanks were all submerged under warm, brackish Gulf water. An extremely adaptable microscopic organism known as the “flesh-eating” bug Vibrio vulnificus acquired a footing as the violent winds and rain combined to form a massive slurry.
