Rising temperatures have manifested in conspicuous manners along the East Coast, including storms and wildfires. But a new threat has been flying under the radar and is impossible to detect by the naked eye: flesh-eating bacteria.
What's happening?
The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published last February found that seven people from North Carolina and two people from New York and Connecticut became severely infected with Vibrio vulnificus last July and August.
The waterborne and foodborne pathogen lives in coastal waters and can lead to necrotizing fasciitis — an infection in which tissue dies — if exposed to an open wound. Consumption of the bacteria via raw or undercooked seafood can lead to sepsis and gastrointestinal issues like watery diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
The CDC suspected that six of the patients contracted the illness after having a wound exposed to marine or estuarine water. Two other patients had a cut on their hands when handling raw seafood as part of food preparation. Of the last two patients who provided exposure information, both ate raw oysters, while one had a wound exposed to brackish water. The ages of the afflicted patients ranged from 37 to 84.
Furthermore, four of the 11 patients experienced septic shock, while five eventually died from the infection.
Why is this increase in V. vulnificus cases concerning?
It's no coincidence that the uptick in V. vulnificus incidences came on the heels of the hottest summer the World Meteorological Organization has ever recorded, as the microbe flourishes in warmer waters.
"A notable feature of these cases, beyond their severe clinical outcomes, is that they occurred in the wake of record-breaking U.S. heat waves," the report read. "Although these cases reported during July–August cannot be solely attributed to the heat waves, the relationship between vibriosis incidence and environmental conditions favorable to Vibrio growth, namely elevated water surface temperatures and low salinity, is well-documented."
Though North Carolina saw as many as 13 cases of V. vulnificus per year from 2021 to 2023, Connecticut had no reports from 2021-22, while New York had just three in 2021 and none in 2022.
What can be done about the increase in V. vulnificus cases?
The report offered proactive measures to people living in the region to protect themselves. "Persons can take steps to prevent illness by avoiding wound contact with brackish water, salt water, and raw seafood, and by thoroughly cooking oysters and other seafood before eating," it read.
It's also yet another reminder of the role we all have in limiting our impact on our planet, whether it's as simple as switching from single-use water bottles to reusable bottles or a larger financial investment like installing solar panels.
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