After a person contracted a rare bacterial infection at a Cape Cod beach, public health officials are urging people with wounds to take precautions around coastal waters and to be vigilant about handling and consuming raw seafood.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued an alert Wednesday about the “extremely rare case” of an individual developing a Vibrio vulnificus infection, which is more common in beaches on the Gulf Coast.
Falmouth and Barnstable County health officials later released additional information saying that the case of the potentially deadly flesh-eating bacteria was confirmed in an older individual who was swimming with an exposed wound at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth.
Officials noted that there is no advisory or closure in effect for the beach, and the information was only being shared to help residents and visitors “make informed choices” about their health and safety.
“Cape Cod’s beaches are an important part of our economy, culture, and community,” said Scott McGann, Falmouth’s health agent. “By taking a few simple precautions, residents and visitors, and particularly anyone who is vulnerable or immunocompromised, can continue to enjoy them safely.”
Vibrio vulnificus complications
Vibrio vulnificus infections can “cause severe, even life-threatening illness,” Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in Wednesday’s alert. People are at greater risk of severe disease if they have liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or thalassemia, or are receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies.
Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About 20% of people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.
“Vibrio bacteria normally live in warm, salt or brackish waters along the Atlantic coast,” Goldstein said. “Heat waves and above-average water surface temperatures create favorable conditions for Vibrio bacteria to grow, making May through October generally the peak season for these bacteria. People with open wounds who spend time in the water, or those who consume contaminated shellfish, can develop an infection when the bacteria enter the body.”
How common is Vibrio vulnificus?
The CDC estimates that there are 80,000 cases of Vibrio vulnificus in the U.S. each year, and about 52,000 cases are the result of eating contaminated food.
In Louisiana, 20 residents have contracted the infection and four have died this year. There have been another 16 cases and five deaths in Florida.
In Massachusetts, state health officials say there have been 71 confirmed and probable cases from various Vibrio species this year, with 30% of those individuals hospitalized.
Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring marine bacterium found in coastal and estuarine waters, especially when water temperatures are warm. Most U.S. cases occur in southern states along the Gulf Coast, but a small number have been reported in the Northeast in recent years. The risk is highest in late summer and early fall when coastal water temperatures reach their seasonal peak. Recent studies indicate thatcases are being reported farther north than in previous decades, a trend scientists attribute in part to warming ocean temperatures.
The bacteria can cause illness in two ways: through wound infections when open cuts, scrapes, or punctures are exposed to seawater; or through consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters.
The case in Falmouth was related to swimming with an exposed wound. In Massachusetts, Vibrio infections have only been linked to wound infections from swimming. There has not been a case tied to eating oysters or any kind of shellfish in Massachusetts, although there have been cases in nearby states like New York and Connecticut.
How to prevent Vibrio vulnificus infection
The Department of Public Health recommends that people with wounds cover them with a waterproof bandage or stay out of coastal waters, immediately wash wounds after contact with coastal waters, and wear protective clothing and shoes.
People handling raw seafood should immediately wash their hands to avoid cross-contamination with other food, and be vigilant around consuming raw or undercooked seafood like oysters. The bacteria can also cause gastrointestinal issues, officials say.
Vibrio vulnificus symptoms
People with open wounds who are exposed to warm coastal waters should monitor their symptoms and seek medical care “if they develop fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, blistering skin lesions or any redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, or discharge at the site of the wound,” health officials say. Other common signs and symptoms include: watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.
Who is at risk for Vibrio vulnificus?
People with liver disease, diabetes, weakened immune systems, chronic illnesses, pregnant women, older adults, and young children, should take extra precautions. For these individuals, wound infections are more likely and eating raw seafood can carry greater risk.
Vilnius vulnificus treatment
According to the CDC, antibiotics are not suggested to treat mild Vibrio infections. People with diarrhea or vomiting should drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is not having enough fluids in the body. Antibiotics can be used to treat severe or prolonged Vibrio infections.
Vibrio wound infection is treated with antibiotics and surgery to remove dead or infected tissue. Surgery might include amputation.
Cape Cod residents react
People at Old Silver Beach on Thursday morning didn’t seem overly concerned about the potentially deadly bacteria.
“We’re going swimming today. It’s the beach,” seasonal resident Jack Loughran said. “It’s August, it’s Cape Cod, you have to go swimming.”
“There’s some virus. I’m aware of it. It’s not going to keep me… and I don’t have any open wounds. You’ve gotta live your life anyway. I think it’s OK. There’s a lot of churning in the ocean, so I’m not worried about it at all.”
“It’s just silly,” Falmouth resident Michael Stuart said. “I think that the guy who got infected was in the water with an open sore and didn’t properly treat his wound and he got infected by bacteria, which he could have got playing in his back yard.”
“If you go take a shower after you go to the beach, I think you’re safe. Bacteria has been in the water for hundreds of thousands of years — longer than we’ve been here.”
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