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Woman contracts flesh-eating bacteria in Fairhope
Posted Monday, July 3, 2017 3:05 pm
By Allison Marlow
A 70-year-old, retired teacher from Mississippi says she has contracted vibrio vulfinicus bacteria in Fairhope. It is unclear whether the bacteria came from local waters or shrimp she was using as bait.
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The woman, who frequently visits Fairhope with her husband, was fishing near the municipal pier two weeks ago when she reached into a bait bucket of live shrimp and pricked the back of her hand. Her husband said three hours later she was ?deathly sick.?
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Last month a Texas man died after contracting the bacteria while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. That man already suffered from liver damage and entered the water with a new tattoo, giving the bacteria a giant entryway into his body.
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Officials said that while Gulf and bay waters are potential homes for vibrio vulfinicus, it also thrives among shellfish and shrimp. Until more questions are answered, it is uncertain where she came in contact with the bacteria.
?This could have been with the shellfish, we don?t know where she obtained the bait, there are a lot of questions to ask and we certainly want to look into it,? said Dr. Karen Landers, assistant state health officer, Bureau of Communicable Diseases.
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The victim?s husband said she did not swim or wade in the bay waters though she did reach into the water to pull her catch out of the bay. He said she had no other open wounds other than the prick from her bait.
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Alabama officials report 3 cases of flesh-eating bacteria
Posted: Jul 07, 2017 2:01 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 07, 2017 2:01 PM CDT
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - ...
Barbara Gibbs, who oversees the Infectious Disease and Control Department with the county health department, says one case was from an individual who consumed raw oysters in another state. The other two, she says, were due to exposing open wounds in area waters.
WALA-TV reports the latter two cases happened during June - one in the Mississippi Sound and the other on Dauphin Island.
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Home / News / 2017 /
Avoid entering bodies of water if you have cuts or abrasions; if injured, clean wound at once to reduce risk of infection
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Karen M. Landers, M.D., F.A.A.P.
(256) 246-1714
karen.landers@adph.state.al.us
Many harmful organisms lurk in lakes, rivers, along the coast, and in other bodies of water. Some bacteria may lead to destructive soft-tissue infections and other illnesses, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) cautions.
?Most soft-tissue infections occur with either injury or with conditions such as poorly controlled diabetes or low immunity. However, sometimes otherwise healthy people can develop a skin infection after skin injury and being exposed to natural bodies of water. Some bacteria can cause more severe infections than others,? said Dr. Karen Landers, Assistant State Health Officer, ADPH.
In brackish and warm salt water such as bay or gulf waters, Vibrio bacteria occur naturally. These bacteria can cause disease in people who eat contaminated seafood and in those with open wounds that are exposed to seawater. While there are numerous infections every year, a small number of people develop serious or sometimes fatal infections.
Dr. Landers cautions the public to be aware of the risks involved in bodies of water. ?If you have open wounds, cuts, abrasions and sores, stay out of the water. Persons with low immune systems, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and other chronic conditions should avoid eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters.?
Vibrio bacteria can enter the body through a break in the skin or by consuming contaminated seafood. If a person gets a cut while in the water, immediately wash the wound with soap and fresh water. If the wound shows any signs of infection (redness, pain or swelling) or if the cut is deep, get medical attention immediately.
Vibrio illness symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, shock, skin lesions and wound infections. In someone with a compromised immune system, the bacteria can infect the bloodstream and may result in death. With Vibrio skin infections, surgery may be necessary. For all cases of Vibrio, it is important to begin treatment immediately because early medical care and antibiotics improve survival.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year in the United States 80,000 people become sick with vibriosis, and 100 people die from their infection. During the past 12 months (as of July 6, 2017), ADPH has conducted 33 investigations and reported 30 cases of vibriosis in Alabama.
Learn more about vibrio illness at www.cdc.gov/vibrio and http://alabamapublichealth.gov/infec...brio_Flyer.pdf.
- 30 -
07/07/2017
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
RSA Tower 201 Monroe Street, Suite 910, Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 206-5300 | Fax: (334) 206-5520
Posted Monday, July 3, 2017 3:05 pm
By Allison Marlow
A 70-year-old, retired teacher from Mississippi says she has contracted vibrio vulfinicus bacteria in Fairhope. It is unclear whether the bacteria came from local waters or shrimp she was using as bait.
...
The woman, who frequently visits Fairhope with her husband, was fishing near the municipal pier two weeks ago when she reached into a bait bucket of live shrimp and pricked the back of her hand. Her husband said three hours later she was ?deathly sick.?
...
Last month a Texas man died after contracting the bacteria while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. That man already suffered from liver damage and entered the water with a new tattoo, giving the bacteria a giant entryway into his body.
...
Officials said that while Gulf and bay waters are potential homes for vibrio vulfinicus, it also thrives among shellfish and shrimp. Until more questions are answered, it is uncertain where she came in contact with the bacteria.
?This could have been with the shellfish, we don?t know where she obtained the bait, there are a lot of questions to ask and we certainly want to look into it,? said Dr. Karen Landers, assistant state health officer, Bureau of Communicable Diseases.
...
The victim?s husband said she did not swim or wade in the bay waters though she did reach into the water to pull her catch out of the bay. He said she had no other open wounds other than the prick from her bait.
...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama officials report 3 cases of flesh-eating bacteria
Posted: Jul 07, 2017 2:01 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 07, 2017 2:01 PM CDT
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - ...
Barbara Gibbs, who oversees the Infectious Disease and Control Department with the county health department, says one case was from an individual who consumed raw oysters in another state. The other two, she says, were due to exposing open wounds in area waters.
WALA-TV reports the latter two cases happened during June - one in the Mississippi Sound and the other on Dauphin Island.
...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home / News / 2017 /
Avoid entering bodies of water if you have cuts or abrasions; if injured, clean wound at once to reduce risk of infection
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Karen M. Landers, M.D., F.A.A.P.
(256) 246-1714
karen.landers@adph.state.al.us
Many harmful organisms lurk in lakes, rivers, along the coast, and in other bodies of water. Some bacteria may lead to destructive soft-tissue infections and other illnesses, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) cautions.
?Most soft-tissue infections occur with either injury or with conditions such as poorly controlled diabetes or low immunity. However, sometimes otherwise healthy people can develop a skin infection after skin injury and being exposed to natural bodies of water. Some bacteria can cause more severe infections than others,? said Dr. Karen Landers, Assistant State Health Officer, ADPH.
In brackish and warm salt water such as bay or gulf waters, Vibrio bacteria occur naturally. These bacteria can cause disease in people who eat contaminated seafood and in those with open wounds that are exposed to seawater. While there are numerous infections every year, a small number of people develop serious or sometimes fatal infections.
Dr. Landers cautions the public to be aware of the risks involved in bodies of water. ?If you have open wounds, cuts, abrasions and sores, stay out of the water. Persons with low immune systems, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and other chronic conditions should avoid eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters.?
Vibrio bacteria can enter the body through a break in the skin or by consuming contaminated seafood. If a person gets a cut while in the water, immediately wash the wound with soap and fresh water. If the wound shows any signs of infection (redness, pain or swelling) or if the cut is deep, get medical attention immediately.
Vibrio illness symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, shock, skin lesions and wound infections. In someone with a compromised immune system, the bacteria can infect the bloodstream and may result in death. With Vibrio skin infections, surgery may be necessary. For all cases of Vibrio, it is important to begin treatment immediately because early medical care and antibiotics improve survival.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year in the United States 80,000 people become sick with vibriosis, and 100 people die from their infection. During the past 12 months (as of July 6, 2017), ADPH has conducted 33 investigations and reported 30 cases of vibriosis in Alabama.
Learn more about vibrio illness at www.cdc.gov/vibrio and http://alabamapublichealth.gov/infec...brio_Flyer.pdf.
- 30 -
07/07/2017
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
RSA Tower 201 Monroe Street, Suite 910, Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 206-5300 | Fax: (334) 206-5520
