Flesh-eating bacteria kill at least 7 along Gulf Coast. Here's how to protect yourself. - CBS News
Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm coastal waters, has caused at least seven deaths along the U.S. Gulf Coast this year. Health experts warn that climate change is expanding the range of these bacteria, increasing the risk for swimmers and those consuming raw shellfish.
Why it matters
Rising temperatures are linked to the spread of dangerous pathogens, posing an increasing threat to public health in coastal regions.
A so-called flesh-eating bacterium that thrives in warm seawater has killed at least seven people this year along the Gulf Coast, officials said.Two people in Florida and five in Louisiana have died from vibrio vulnificus, which lurks in warm coastal waters and can enter the body through open wounds or from eating raw shellfish. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1 in 5 people with the bacteria do die.Flesh-eating bacteria survivor shares her storySummerlin Skipworth was spending her Labor Day weekend last year at Alabama's Orange Beach when she hurt her foot against rocks along the shore."It felt like it was broken," she said.Within a few days, Skipworth said, the pain spiked, sending her to the emergency room."It felt like somebody poured gasoline on my foot and lit it on fire," she said.Skipworth tested positive for vibrio vulnificus."An infection never crossed my mind," she said.
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