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NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – A man from Memphis died earlier this month after contracting a flesh-eating bacterium called vibrio vulnificus after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.
The flesh-eating bacterium has been reported several times this year after vacationers visited coastal towns, but doctors said it was not just in the water along the coast. It could also be in the waterways of Tennessee.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the disease was unlikely to be contracted, but it could be very serious.
Although most cases of the disease have been reported on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, they can also be found locally.
"People who are already frail or immunocompromised for any reason are much more likely to get sick much more quickly," Schaffner said.
If you plan to go to the lake this weekend or if you are going to the Gulf of Mexico soon, think twice before you go.
"If you have cut, you should perhaps take a day off and wait for it to heal," said Schaffner.
Open cuts or wounds are the primary means of skin infections that can enter your body. So be sure to take care of it before entering the water.
"It's very serious, very ugly and scary, but fortunately it's very rare," said Schaffner. "So everyone takes a deep breath and goes into the water this summer and has a good time."
Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus include nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and, most importantly, pain.
If an open wound is more painful than normal shortly after your swim, consult a doctor immediately.
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