Latest news with #AntarpreetJutla
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Four people have died from flesh-eating bacteria in Florida. Who is at risk?
Four people in Florida have died this year from bacterial infections that can cause 'flesh-eating' wounds, the state's health department reported this month. The culprit, the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, thrives in warm seawater. The deadly cases were seen in counties spread around Florida's extensive coastline, from Bay County in the Panhandle and Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, on the Gulf Coast, to Broward County in southeastern Florida and St. Johns County just south of Jacksonville. Florida has seen 11 Vibrio vulnificus cases so far this year, the state's health department says. The bacteria can get into the body through open wounds in the skin and cause the surrounding tissue to die, a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can also get Vibrio vulnificus from eating contaminated foods, particularly raw oysters. It's unclear how the people in Florida were infected. About 1 in 5 people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection die, the CDC says. Antarpreet Jutla, an engineering professor at the University of Florida who researches Vibrio bacteria, said Vibrio vulnificus infections are still rare, though they tend to increase after hurricanes. Last year, Florida saw a total of 82 cases, which may have been exacerbated by the 'extremely active' hurricane season. What is Vibrio vulnificus? Vibrio vulnificus is one of over 200 species of Vibrio bacteria, said Rita Colwell, a professor emerita of microbiology at the University of Maryland. The majority of Vibrio infections aren't harmful to humans, Jutla said. Some only affect other animals. But Vibrio bacteria do cause about 80,000 infections in people each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most of those cases are gastrointestinal. Only a small handful — 100 to 200 cases — are due to Vibrio vulnificus. Other Vibrio species, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus, are often the cause of those stomach illnesses. Another type of Vibrio, Vibrio cholorae, causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Because Vibrio bacteria prefer warm water, they are typically found along the southeastern shores of the U.S., but are also found on the West Coast as well. As ocean temperatures warm, more cases have been found further north in recent years, Jutla said, including some in New York, Connecticut and Maryland. Who is at risk? Vibrio bacteria can creep in open wounds after spending time in salty or brackish water, said Dr. Norman Beatty, an infectious disease doctor at University of Florida Health. Most cases he's seen have been associated with spending extended time in the water, but he says that a brief exposure could be the 'only thing needed.' Visible signs of an infection can start in just a few hours, Beatty said, and include redness, swelling and 'bull's-eye' blisters. The site will also be painful. If infection progresses, it can get into the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can be deadly. Symptoms of sepsis include fever, chills and dangerously low blood pressure, according to the CDC. People with liver cirrhosis, weakened immune systems and those over 65 are most at risk for infection, Jutla said. Vibrio vulnificus infections can be treated with antibiotics. How to prevent Vibrio infections Beatty said he recommends covering up any open wounds before going into the ocean. Even a waterproof Band-Aid does the job, he said. If people think they have an infection, they should seek care immediately, Beatty said. Delaying can be the difference between developing severe complications and a more mild infection. 'A delay in presenting to health care is truly the likely reason why most people have a more serious outcome than others,' he said. 'People who present within the same day with signs and symptoms of early infection, who receive antibiotics, can do well and can avoid a lot of these serious complications.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
Four people have died from flesh-eating bacteria in Florida. Who is at risk?
Four people in Florida have died this year from bacterial infections that can cause 'flesh-eating' wounds, the state's health department reported this month. The culprit, the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, thrives in warm seawater. The deadly cases were seen in counties spread around Florida's extensive coastline, from Bay County in the Panhandle and Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, on the Gulf Coast, to Broward County in southeastern Florida and St. Johns County just south of Jacksonville. Florida has seen 11 Vibrio vulnificus cases so far this year, the state's health department says. The bacteria can get into the body through open wounds in the skin and cause the surrounding tissue to die, a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can also get Vibrio vulnificus from eating contaminated foods, particularly raw oysters. It's unclear how the people in Florida were infected. About 1 in 5 people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection die, the CDC says. Antarpreet Jutla, an engineering professor at the University of Florida who researches Vibrio bacteria, said Vibrio vulnificus infections are still rare, though they tend to increase after hurricanes. Last year, Florida saw a total of 82 cases, which may have been exacerbated by the 'extremely active' hurricane season. What is Vibrio vulnificus? Vibrio vulnificus is one of over 200 species of Vibrio bacteria, said Rita Colwell, a professor emerita of microbiology at the University of Maryland. The majority of Vibrio infections aren't harmful to humans, Jutla said. Some only affect other animals. But Vibrio bacteria do cause about 80,000 infections in people each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most of those cases are gastrointestinal. Only a small handful — 100 to 200 cases — are due to Vibrio vulnificus. Other Vibrio species, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus, are often the cause of those stomach illnesses. Another type of Vibrio, Vibrio cholorae, causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Because Vibrio bacteria prefer warm water, they are typically found along the southeastern shores of the U.S., but are also found on the West Coast as well. As ocean temperatures warm, more cases have been found further north in recent years, Jutla said, including some in New York, Connecticut and Maryland. Who is at risk? Vibrio bacteria can creep in open wounds after spending time in salty or brackish water, said Dr. Norman Beatty, an infectious disease doctor at University of Florida Health. Most cases he's seen have been associated with spending extended time in the water, but he says that a brief exposure could be the 'only thing needed.' Visible signs of an infection can start in just a few hours, Beatty said, and include redness, swelling and 'bull's-eye' blisters. The site will also be painful. If infection progresses, it can get into the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can be deadly. Symptoms of sepsis include fever, chills and dangerously low blood pressure, according to the CDC. People with liver cirrhosis, weakened immune systems and those over 65 are most at risk for infection, Jutla said. Vibrio vulnificus infections can be treated with antibiotics. How to prevent Vibrio infections Beatty said he recommends covering up any open wounds before going into the ocean. Even a waterproof Band-Aid does the job, he said. If people think they have an infection, they should seek care immediately, Beatty said. Delaying can be the difference between developing severe complications and a more mild infection. 'A delay in presenting to health care is truly the likely reason why most people have a more serious outcome than others,' he said. 'People who present within the same day with signs and symptoms of early infection, who receive antibiotics, can do well and can avoid a lot of these serious complications.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dozens of beaches close before July Fourth weekend due to fecal bacteria
Just ahead of the long Independence Day weekend, beaches across the country have closed and issued advisories because of excessive levels of harmful bacteria. The culprit is fecal waste, a common summer problem in both freshwater and oceans that can cause gastrointestinal illness and skin infections. At least six states have issued closures or advisories for certain beaches and lakes that have tested positive for above-safe levels of fecal bacteria. In Massachusetts, almost two dozen beaches are closed due to excessive bacteria levels. Four beaches in New York are closed. Illinois has issued at least eight advisories in the past few weeks. Los Angeles County had released eight ocean water quality advisories as of Tuesday. Michigan has closed three beaches. The bacteria causing havoc for summer swimmers include and Enterococcus — nasty germs often found in the feces of people and animals. The contamination can occur because of sewage, manure or storm runoff. is more likely to be found in freshwater, whereas enterococcus can form in both marine and freshwater. Edward Dudley, director of the E. Coli Reference Center at Pennsylvania State University, said testing bodies of water used for swimming is routine and common, as are closures. Beach closures are more likely around the summer months, when ocean surface temperatures are high and bacteria can grow more easily, said Antarpreet Jutla, associate professor of environmental engineering sciences at the University of Florida. However, a variety of factors — including human activity, temperature and water movement — can affect bacterial growth, he said. Jutla also said that beach closures due to fecal bacteria are very common. In North Carolina, officials warned about cyanobacteria algae blooms in Lake Norman, urging people to keep children and pets away from water that appears bright green, blue or scummy. Different from fecal bacteria, cyanobacteria are the most common cause of algae blooms in freshwater, such as lakes or rivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research suggests that climate change may be triggering cyanobacterial algae blooms more frequently. Although the Environmental Protection Agency sets guidelines on safe levels of fecal bacteria, states can set their own water quality and monitoring standards. Some, such as Illinois, test public beaches every two weeks. 'I would say, the higher the levels, probably the higher the risk,' Dudley said. While fecal waste can lead to many harmful diseases, experts are worried by recent increasing levels of another harmful bacteria: vibrio. Vibrio is a potentially deadly bacterium that has caused similar beach closures in recent years. The flesh-eating bug thrives in warm, coastal waters. Jutla, who researches vibrio bacteria, has seen vibrio gradually migrate north across the United State. Testing for vibrio depends on each state as well as its concentration limits, he said. 'It's a rare thing right now with increasing trends in the entire country, but that's something that we are really concerned about — what is going to be present in the coastal waters,' Jutla said about vibrio. The deadly V. vulnificus is a rare type of the bacterium, but infections have been growing in recent years as it follows warming ocean water up the eastern coast of the U.S. This article was originally published on
