Florida health officials warn of deadly bacteria

A flesh-destroying bacteria has already infected eight people this year, killing two — including a 57-year-old Melbourne man. So Florida health officials are warning people to avoid exposing open wounds to warm, salty outdoor waters, and for those with health issues to avoid eating raw shellfish.

Two Brevard County victims have died from the bacterium, called Vibrio vulnificus, since October. Both had underlying health conditions.

In early May, a 57-year-old Melbourne man with a suppressed immune system died of a Vibrio infection. In late October, A 73-year-old Palm Bay man with diabetes and heart disease died of Vibrio after swimming in the Indian River Lagoon.

Health officials weren't able to determine whether either men had contracted the bacteria from food or through a wound.

"There might have been injuries. Both died before we interviewed them," said Barry Inman, epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health in Brevard.

The 57-year-old Melbourne man had eaten gumbo with oysters from a food store, but tests of the food were inconclusive. He also had eaten a fish he'd caught in the Indian River Lagoon, Inman said.

The 73-year-old man from Palm Bay — Brevard's only Vibrio case last year — had been swimming in the lagoon a few days before his death. But health officials could not say whether swimming or something he ate caused the infection.

Vibrio vulnificus belongs to the same family of bacteria as those that cause cholera. It inhabits warm, salty water and is part of a group of bacteria called "halophilic" because they require salt. It dies at salt levels typical in the ocean but thrives at lower to moderate salt concentrations, such as those found in the lagoon.

Now is the most dangerous time of year for the bacteria. Vibrio infections tend to occur between May and October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Warm water and moderate salinity can increase the amount of Vibrio in shellfish.

In the past seven years, Florida has averaged 30 cases and 9 deaths annually from Vibrio, according to Florida Department of Health data.

States in the Gulf Coast region average about 50 cases, 45 hospitalizations and 16 deaths annually, according to the Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee. Most of the cases are in Florida.

While infections are rare, individuals should still take precautions, health officials said.

Infections in people with liver or immune system conditions have a 50 percent fatality rate.

When it infects the skin via open wounds, Vibrio releases a toxin that can cause skin breakdown and ulcers.

Ingestion of the bacteria can trigger vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

People with weakened immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease, are the most at risk when they eat raw shellfish, especially oysters, health officials said, because oysters filter the bacteria from the water. Eating a single contaminated oyster can kill.

The bacteria rarely cause serious disease, and as a result is underreported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Illness usually begins within one to three days of exposure, but up to a week later for a small percentage of cases. Symptoms include fever, swelling and redness of skin on arms or legs, with blood-tinged blisters, low blood pressure and shock.

Even an ant bite or any tiny wound can allow an entry point for the bacteria.

In 2013, two Brevard County men recovered from serious skin infections caused by the bacteria.

Both men were infected after fishing in the Indian River Lagoon.

Mike Weldon, 62, of Melbourne, says he caught Vibrio in August 2013 while netting fish at a local fishing pier. He'd cut his hand on the pier while throwing his net, then dipping his hand into a bait bucket filled with lagoon water, he told FLORIDA TODAY last year. Within a few hours, his hand was burning with swelling red ulcers that rapidly spread.

"I started seeing lines go up my arm," Weldon said at the time. Doctors cut his arm to drain it.

His doctor told him there was a 50 percent chance he'd die. There was talk of a living will, and his arm was marked around his bicep — the point at which they would amputate, if the infection spread that far.

"I was critical after 48 (hours)," he said. "I was going into shock. I basically couldn't eat anything, couldn't get up. It was miserable, totally miserable."

But Weldon still fishes the lagoon he loves, although now he protect himself with long gloves.

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com Follow him on Twitter @JWayEnviro

Learn about Vibrio vulnificus

Florida Department of Health Vibrio site: www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/vibrio-infections/vibrio-vulnificus/index.html

Tips for preventing Vibrio vulnificus infections

•Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.

•Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly.

•For shellfish in the shell, either a) boil until the shells open and continue boiling for 5 more minutes, or b) steam until the shells open and then continue cooking for 9 more minutes. Do not eat those shellfish that do not open during cooking. Boil shucked oysters at least 3 minutes, or fry them in oil at least 10 minutes at 375°F.

•Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.

•Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.

•Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water, or to raw shellfish harvested from such waters.

•Wear protective clothing (e.g., gloves) when handling raw shellfish.

Source: Brevard County Health Department