Health officials in one US state are warning sunseekers to be careful after a surge in flesh-eating bacteria was discovered in the sea.
This year alone, Louisiana has had nine cases of the deadly Vibrio vulnificus infection, a bacterium which thrives in seawater and brackish water.
The waters near the Gulf of Mexico, especially along the Louisiana coast, are a mix of brackish waters from estuaries and fresh saltwater, making it the perfect conditions for the bacterium to thrive.
Out of the nine cases reported this year, all were taken to the hospital, and five people died.
One victim, Basil Kennedy, 77, became seriously ill after he scraped his leg and then went swimming. He died just three days later.
Officials warned: ‘Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored.’
One in five infections of Vibrio vulnificus is deadly, according to health officials, afflicting those exposed within hours.
Higher temperatures brought on by climate change have made infections more common and helped the bacterium to thrive.
It’s not just swimming with open wounds that causes the infection – the CDC says many people can get the disease by eating raw shellfish, such as oysters or mussels.
Signs of the infection include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills.
Infections of a wound present differently: fever, pain, redness, warmth, swelling, discolouration and discharge are signs to seek treatment immediately.
The bacteria have also been reported across Europe this summer.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has warned of an increased risk of infections this summer, particularly during heatwaves and in shallow coastal waters.
And, with the Mediterranean warming around 20% faster than the global average, conditions are only getting more suitable for the stuff to grow.
This is because warmer water, especially where it is less salty, becomes a fertile breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
The Mediterranean’s naturally higher salt level has historically suppressed Vibrio vulnificus, making the Baltic and North Sea coasts higher-risk areas for the most dangerous cases.
Now, however, scientists warn that as the sea warms and salt patterns shift, that could change.
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