Vibrio and other aggressive carnivorous infections can be prevented

The recent death of an elderly fisherman with a bacterial infection is the first fatality of the year for Texas, but not the only case of Vibrio vulnificus this summer.

Eight cases have been reported this year from the Texas Department of Health. Of these, seven infections have entered the bloodstream through contact with seawater. This type of infection transmitted through the blood is sometimes referred to as a flesh-eating bacterium.

Other Vibrio diseases come from the consumption of raw crustaceans, which is more common. Vibrio vulnificus is the same bacteria that sometimes makes people sick after eating raw oysters. The bacteria is still in oysters on the Gulf Coast, according to Dr. Earl Matthew, an infectious disease specialist in Rockport, who has been practicing for 50 years.

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Bacteria of the genus Vibrio, staphylococci and streptococci occur throughout the year in the bays of the Gulf of Mexico, but are more common from May to October. Awareness, precautions and immediate cleansing and first aid are the best defenses.
David Sikes

Despite perceptions conveyed by the media, Matthew says that the number of bacterial infections of waterborne origin is not much higher today than in any other country. it was not in the 1950s. And during this period, the coastal population grew, as did the number of people fishing in salt water, and especially whaling today. ; hui.

"And most of the infections we see are streptococci and staphylococci, not Vibrio."

When Vibrio is ingested at low doses, our body can usually handle the microorganism, which is naturally found in warm coastal waters. Our natural defenses, namely stomach acid, kill or reduce the number of bacteria that reach our gut, and there are rarely any symptoms that cause a person to see a doctor.

Regardless of how these bacteria enter the body, results to varying degrees are dramatically underestimated, according to health officials. People who suffer from temporary diarrhea after eating raw oysters almost never see a doctor or report their illness.

Here is Ruben Suniga's leg today, with cutaneous graphs to cover the part that was infected with Vibrio.
(Photo: contributed)

People with severe symptoms – such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea and low blood pressure – have weakened immune systems or compromised liver function. Excessive consumption of alcohol temporarily inhibits liver function, which is a risk factor for infection. Contaminated crustaceans consumed during the warmer months are the most common source of Vibrio-related diseases

HEB and other seafood markets sell oysters subject to an FDA-approved radiation process that improves the safety and prolongs the shelf life of food. or eliminate microorganisms. And that does not kill oysters.

Last year, 34 cases of Vibrio were reported to the Department of Public Health. At least 19 cases involved Vibrio entering the bloodstream through an opening in the skin. At least seven came from contaminated shells, while the others were from an unknown source, according to ministry records.

Texas has had five confirmed deaths associated with Vibrio in 2017, but it is not clear whether these infections were related to blood or seafood. Lightning killed 16 Texans in 2017.

Dr. John Pettigrove, a long-time local physician, now retired, has encountered about half a dozen cases of Vibrio during his decades-long career. He agreed that Vibrio is not the only infection in our water. Vibrio infections may be among the most aggressive, but staphylococcus and streptococcus can be almost as bad and more common, though rare.

In any case, warming the waters of the bay means the season of bacteria along the Texas coast.

This is what people who fish, work, play or come into contact with seawater or shellfish should know about the health risks. For most of us, it is not necessary to completely avoid the water, even in the summer

To learn more: A woman dies after contracting Vibrio in Nueces County