Case of flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio reported in Alabama - AL.com

A case of Vibrio, a flesh-eating bacterial infection typically linked to water exposure, has been reported in Alabama, according to the Mobile County Health Department.

MCHD said the exposure took place in the waters near Gulf Shores. No other information on the patient is being released.

The bacteria known as Vibrio is found in lakes, rivers, along the coast and in other warm, brackish bodies of water, particularly during the time from May to October. People are infected when they are exposed to water containing Vibrio or by eating raw or undercooked seafood from those areas. Vibrio can lead to destructive soft-tissue infections and other illnesses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are roughly 80,000 Vibrio infections each year, 100 of which are fatal. Alabama has had 16 cases of Vibriosis so far this year.

Symptoms from Vibrio include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, shock, skin lesions and wound infections. Infections can be particularly dangerous for those with a compromised immune system, including those with liver disease or cancer.

To help protect yourself against Vibrio, the CDC recommends:

• Stay out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes), or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if there’s a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water.
• Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to seawater.
• If you develop a skin infection, tell your medical provider if your skin has come into contact with brackish or sal twater.
• Wear clothes and shoes that can protect you from cuts and scrapes when in brackish or salt water.

What else?

• Thoroughly cook seafood, especially oysters.
• Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
• Do not eat those shellfish that do not open during cooking.
• Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.
• Wear protective gloves when handling raw seafood.

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