Seawater Bacteria Death Linked To Open Wound

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Lee County resident whose Vibrio vulnificus-related death was reported by state officials late last week died following exposure to the seawater bacteria through an open wound. The Florida Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed the source of the person’s infection.

Further information about the person, including a name or age, is not being released by state officials. The person’s death brought the state’s total related to the seawater bacteria up to four for 2017 so far. The other three deaths reported this year involved residents of Santa Rosa, Brevard and Orange counties. A total of 25 cases have been confirmed across the state this year. (For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Sarasota Patch. Click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Last week’s second confirmed Vibrio vulnificus infection involved a resident in Collier County who became sickened, but did not die. “The Collier case was exposure to raw shellfish,” Mara Gambineri, FDOH spokeswoman, told Patch Tuesday.

People can become infected with Vibrio vulnificus in one of two ways – by eating contaminated raw shellfish and through exposure to contaminated water by swimming with open wounds.

“Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria in raw shellfish and in warm, brackish/salty seawater,” FDOH spokeswoman Mara Gambineri explained in a previous interview. “Vibrio vulnificus exposures occur more commonly during the summer months when water temperatures rise – the majority of our cases occur between May and October. The bacterium does not pose a risk to a normally healthy person and Florida’s beaches and water are safe to enjoy responsibly.”

• See also: Florida’s Deadly Seawater Bacteria: How To Avoid Exposure

Most people who come into contact with the bacteria don’t show severe symptoms. Signs of exposure in normally healthy people include such symptoms as stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

“People with weakened immune systems, particularly those with chronic liver disease, have an increased risk of infection and should take precautions,” Gambineri said. “Additionally, people with any open cuts, scrapes or abrasions should avoid exposing the wound to seawater to prevent infection.”

The 25 cases confirmed across the state in 2017 so far are as follows:

• Brevard County – 1 case (fatal)
• Charlotte County – 1 case
• Citrus County – 1 case
• Collier County – 2 cases
• Duval County – 1 case
• Escambia County – 2 cases
• Hillsborough County – 2 cases
• Lee County – 3 cases (one fatal)
• Okaloosa County – 1 case
• Orange County – 1 case (fatal)
• Pasco County – 1 case
• Pinellas County – 1 case
• Polk County – 1 case
• Santa Rosa County – 2 cases (one fatal)
• Sumter County – 3 cases
• Volusia County – 2 cases

In 2016, there were 46 confirmed Vibrio vulnificus-related illnesses across Florida. Ten of those cases resulted in fatalities.

To find out more about the bacteria and safety measures that can be taken, visit the Florida Department of Health online.

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