We just lately reported on the Louisiana Division of Well being‘s warning about Vibrio vulnificus, the flesh-eating micro organism that Boing Boing’s Séamus Bellamy so fantastically describes as “residing its greatest life within the waters slopping up towards the seashores of America’s east coast.” Effectively heads’ up, everybody, as a result of whereas a lot of the 150 to 200 annual circumstances within the United State happen alongside the Gulf Coast, a brand new case of the flesh-eating micro organism was just lately confirmed, this time at a seaside in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Vibrio vulnificus is a micro organism present in coastal and estuarine waters (the place recent water mixes with salt water), together with the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast. The micro organism thrive when water floor temperatures rise throughout warmth waves, and are sometimes at their peak from Might by October. Cape Cod Occasions quotes Massachusetts Public Well being Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, who said that Vibrio vulnificus infections “can unfold by the bloodstream and trigger extreme, even life-threatening sickness” together with necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating illness.
As of July 30, Louisiana has seen 17 circumstances of Vibrio vulnificus in 2025 alone. All seventeen sufferers had been hospitalized and 4 died. The Louisiana Division of Well being experiences that 75% of these circumstances had been linked to “wound/seawater publicity.” That is an unusually excessive variety of circumstances — Cape Cod Occasions experiences that, compared, over the last decade, Louisiana averaged seven circumstances and one demise per 12 months. Circumstances have additionally been exhibiting up this 12 months in Florida. As of July 24, the state has reported 13 circumstances and 4 deaths, numbers that are extra according to earlier years, albeit nonetheless alarming.
This 12 months along with the Gulf Coast circumstances, a brand new case has just lately been confirmed at Previous Silver Seaside in Falmouth, a city on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In response to Cape Cod Occasions, the case was confirmed by each native and state officers on August 8, shortly after the affected person, who had been swimming within the water on the Cape Cod seaside, grew to become sick.
Up to now in 2025, Massachusetts has seen 71 confirmed and possible circumstances of Vibrio, which incorporates the entire dozen or so kinds of Vibrio, not simply Vibrio vulnificus. In response to Cape Cod Occasions, thirty p.c of these circumstances included hospitalization, and no deaths have been reported. Throughout the time interval 2015 to 2024, Massachusetts reported, on common, 88 circumstances of Vibrio an infection (of every kind) per 12 months. Whereas Vibrio vulnificus circumstances are, in accordance to the Falmouth Public Well being Division, “extraordinarily unusual” in Massachusetts, they’re beginning to be reported additional and additional north than in earlier years, due to warming ocean temperatures. So, I would count on to see extra circumstances in each the Gulf Coast states and in additional northern Atlantic Coast areas.
Cape Cod Times experiences that whereas Cape Cod seashores equivalent to Falmouth are monitored for fecal micro organism, there isn’t any good approach to monitor bathing water for the virus. They additional clarify:
The micro organism is uncommon in Massachusetts, however is barely extra possible in late summer time and early fall when water temperatures are warmest, in keeping with the assertion. Extra circumstances of Vibrio vulnificus are being reporting within the north than in earlier a long time, which scientists attribute partially to local weather change.
The city requested people to keep away from swimming or going into water with open cuts, scrapes, or recent tattoos or to cowl the wound with a water-proof bandage. Additionally rinse any wounds with cleaning soap and recent water after contact with coastal waters and search medical care shortly if the wound turns into pink, swollen, painful or is accompanied by fever after seawater publicity.
Folks often get the virus by swimming in sea water with open wounds, so you actually ought to keep away from doing that. You may as well get the virus by consuming uncooked or undercooked seafood equivalent to uncooked oysters, so it is good observe to totally cook dinner your seafood, particularly within the hotter months of the 12 months. The Massachusetts Division of Public Well being advises that immunocompromised individuals are extra in danger for extreme illness following publicity to Vibrio vulnificus by open wounds, and that people who’re on drugs that decreases ranges of abdomen acid or who’ve had current abdomen surgical procedure have an elevated threat of creating gastrointestinal infections from consuming shellfish or seafood contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus. Keep protected on the market, associates!
Beforehand:
• Flesh consuming micro organism more and more frequent at America’s seashores
• ‘Excessive quantities’ of flesh-eating micro organism and ocean plastics create ‘good pathogen storm’ in Florida seaweed
• Florida man contaminated with flesh-eating micro organism after being bitten by member of the family
• Oysters and different sea-boogers carry illness
• Two lifeless after consuming uncooked oysters from Louisiana
