What Is Flesh-Eating Bacteria and Why Are Infections on the Rise?

Of the 17 cases, 75 percent were linked to exposure of wounds to seawater.

“Vibrio vulnificus is by far most common in the Gulf states, but it’s been expanding northwards,” says Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and the chief of infectious disease at SUNY University in Buffalo, New York. “As its range expands, the number of cases are likely to expand as well.”

What Is Vibrio vulnificus?

The Vibrio cases making headlines right now are from Vibrio vulnificus.

“Vibrio is a germ that likes to live in warm, salty waters,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “It can contaminate beachfront areas.”

How People Get Exposed to Vibrio

Cases of Vibrio vulnificus Are Quickly Rising in the U.S.

Some Vibrio Symptoms Can Be Confused With Stomach Bugs and Flu-Like Illnesses

Symptoms of a Vibrio vulnificus infection vary depending on whether someone gets sick from eating oysters or contracts it through an open wound.

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain

• Fever
• Chills
• Drop in blood pressure
• Skin breakdown
• Skin ulcers

“You can quickly develop fever, chills, and feel very poorly, very, very quickly,” Schaffner says. Vibrio vulnificus wound infections are unlikely to go undiagnosed, given how severe these illnesses usually are, he says.

Dr. Russo says Vibrio vulnificus infections from ingestion of contaminated food or water may go underdiagnosed, given that they can be confused with other gastrointestinal illnesses.

Vibrio Is Treatable, but Can Quickly Turn Fatal

Treatment involves oral or IV antibiotics, along with careful monitoring of the wound, if there is one. “You have to assess the local site of infection very carefully because it can be subtle,” Schaffner says. “Much of what is going on is underneath the skin, and doctors have to be aware that this ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria could be tunneling under the skin.”

How to Lower Your Risk of Vibrio

There are a few things you can do to keep from getting Vibrio vulnificus, the experts say.

• Don’t swim with open wounds. Obvious cuts and scrapes, as well as new tattoos and piercings increase your vulnerability. “If you have an open wound, you should really avoid going into brackish water,” Russo says.
• Avoid raw or undercooked oysters. “Don’t eat raw oysters,” Russo says, noting that these mollusks can also carry viruses like norovirus. “Certainly, if you fall into a high-risk group, definitely avoid eating raw oysters,” he adds.
• Check local water alerts. Local health or environmental departments regularly update water quality reports, Russo points out. He suggests checking these before swimming, especially if you’re considered high risk for a Vibrio vulnificus infection.
• Wash up after swimming. “It’s a good idea when you get home to take a shower,” Schaffner says. If you get a cut while swimming, he recommends rinsing the area well with fresh water immediately afterward, too.

“Doctors who work in emergency rooms along the Gulf Coast are aware of Vibrio vulnificus. But now that it’s sneaking up the Atlantic seaboard, lots of doctors in emergency rooms up the East Coast need to learn about this infection, too,” Schaffner says.