Infection caused by vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, threatens residents in shoreline areas of Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) said in a press release on Saturday.
At least five patients, aged between 49-85, have been hospitalised since July, with three of them catching a bloodstream infection and another two suffering serious wound infections. No deaths have been registered.
A warning from the CT Dept of Public Health - beware of a potentially deadly bacteria in the brackish waters and saltwater of Long Island Sound. 5 people have developed infections from #Vibrio vulnificus. Don’t go in the water with an open wound. Wash thoroughly with if you do. pic.twitter.com/iEIJk6OEyd
— tina detelj (@tinadetelj) September 14, 2020
Vibrio vulnificus infection is a rare kind of infection that can be contracted through undercooked seafood or through an open wound if it's exposed to salt or brackish water. It requires swift treatment, since about 1 in 5 people infected die, sometimes within 1 or 2 days after catching the infection.
The danger is that a wound infection may spread to the rest of the body, causing fever, swelling, and discolouration. Sometimes patients need an amputation to remove dead or seriously infected tissue.
