# Warning! Warning Waring!



## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Warning Warning Warning !! 
There is Flesh Eating Bacteria in Bayou Texar!! If you have Open Cuts Do Not Get in the Bayou!! A family friend has lost her entire leg this past week! Please pass the word along!!
It only takes hours before the effects start to take place. I'm talking hours not days. Please be careful if you have open cuts.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Good grief that is horrible, THANK YOU for the info!!!!!!!


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Vibrio?


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

The Bonifey's dont care..!!


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## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes Vibro 
and just Bamm that quick !!


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## holicori (Dec 26, 2012)

You'd think with how nasty that vibrio is that they would have some scientist out testing for it and drawing a map of where it is and where it's moving to. 

Some scary shit.

Bout 3 years ago a coworker literally died over the weekend from that stuff. 

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## Diggety (Dec 31, 2016)

Scary, thanks for spreading the word


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## timjb83 (Jan 23, 2013)

Hate to say it, but a friend that I work with just got it. We went wading in choctawhatchee bay on Thursday and he has blisters all over both hands and some on his thighs.. he did have a cut from his braid on his finger.. I am all clear.. praying for him

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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

WHat the hell is it caused from, polluted water, sewer spills, brackish water, does this happen in salty water?


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Vibrio has been around longer than any of us. 80,000 infections and 100 or so deaths a year in US salt and brackish waters.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

I guess I have been living under a rock, I didn't know.


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## Hoo2 (Jul 31, 2017)

I got vibrio 2 years ago at Shoreline park slipping on the boat ramp and gouging my elbow on barnacles. Got immediate treatment at GB ER (admitted to hospital 36 hours later with a fever) but still ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics for 8 days. CDC later told me that if I'd been 12 hours later going in I would have lost my arm; 24 hours later I'd have died. It's everywhere when the water is warm, even out at sea. It's always been there. Nothing new. Just bad luck really if it takes hold of you from a minor cut. Much more likely from a deeper cut as well. Vast majority of deaths from it are from eating raw oysters. When it gets you on the inside you're a goner.

I use ice spikes on my sandals at the boat ramp now, just to be safe!


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## Jonee523 (Nov 3, 2016)

ty ty for the heads up.......


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## tailfisher (Oct 7, 2007)

That really encourages a person to not fish when stuff like that happens so close to home.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

And to think at one time that water was drinkable..!!


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Ocean Master said:


> And to think at one time that water was drinkable..!!


When was Bayou Texas ever drinkable? Way up Carpenter Creek, once you were well under 12th Ave bridge maybe...on an outgoing tide....but the bayou is and always has been brackish.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Ocean Master said:


> And to think at one time that water was drinkable..!!


Bath salts are bad for you.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Sure it was in Texar? I can't find anything on it.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*Vibrio is harder on Diabetics and those with circulatory problems*

If you have circulatory problems don't get cut.

The captain of a boat worked on a boat more than 60 years ago had a bucket of water with half a cup of bleach in it in a convenient place on the boat's deck. We were instructed to wash our hands in it several times a day and especially after a cut or fin prick. Nobody had sore hands at any time. Of course, it sure dried our hands. There was some sort of lotion or oil available too.

Now days, I keep alcohol pads handy and have Triple antibiotic available too. 

This is serious..

Re: slipping on the ramp. Go to the tips page and see what I do to keep from slipping. Aw heck, I'll go get it and attach it here.


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## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

I been fishing my whole life, not a day gos by I don't have cuts or scapes and open wounds and I'm handling fish and in contact with the water, I commercial mullet fished gill and castnet for over 30 years, did I just get lucky and not get it?I think it has something to do with your immune system, but IDK. 


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## OHenry (Apr 28, 2011)

I've never been fishing when I didn't get cut... I've seen articles on the news a few times a year and have no doubt it's true... I remember when we were told to go to the beach to cure infections. Times, they are chanting.


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## Fishing Grandpa (Jul 2, 2017)

That is some scary stuff. I still can't stop fishing though!


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

706Z said:


> I been fishing my whole life, not a day gos by I don't have cuts or scapes and open wounds and I'm handling fish and in contact with the water, I commercial mullet fished gill and castnet for over 30 years, did I just get lucky and not get it?I think it has something to do with your immune system, but IDK.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I mullet fish for friends almost every day that I am not king or Spanish fishing. Constantly finned, getting mullet out of the net and into my keep bag, or while cleaning, took multiple long deep gashes from a big sheephead on my thigh, cut by gill plates, etc. Then, too, running through jungles exposed me to every type germ and bacteria both known...and unknown...to man. You might be onto something. Stronger immune systems? Maybe exposed to some and human systems can build an immunity? Or sheer dumb luck?

Had to edit...damn smartphone changed a bunch of key words.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*Hey 706Z, you might be right*

There may be some folks who are resistant or immune to Vibrio. We've both been on the water a long time with no problems but I am still gonna be more careful. All it takes is one of the little critters to put you in a world of hurt or in a hole in the ground.


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## lees way2 (Oct 7, 2007)

OHenry said:


> I've never been fishing when I didn't get cut... I've seen articles on the news a few times a year and have no doubt it's true... I remember when we were told to go to the beach to cure infections. Times, they are chanting.


Yea I remember being told to get in the salt water with a cut or scrape or scratch. It will make it better and it worked for as long as I want to remember.I dont want none of it so I think before I get wet any where.Over reaction sure but damn I like what parts I got.


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

Got a friend of mine that has had it twice in the last year. He is fine now but never was one that took antibiotics or washed his hands in the antiseptic stuff. Not saying this means a lot but I think as you use the squirt bottles of hand wash and try the stuff to protect you from the every day bacteria it causes other problems. 

I say there is a lot to be said for building your immunity by just being sick some times instead of the antiseptic world we live in.

Just my opinion and I don't want to discourage normal cleanliness but there is a point we overprotect ourselves and cause harm.


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

Damn, wonder if it can get into oysters? That'd suck.


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

CurDog said:


> Damn, wonder if it can get into oysters? That'd suck.


Yes...read below.

http://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/vibrio-oysters.html

This is why I still follow the rule of thumb of an r in the month. I know September has an r but I don't touch oysters until late October or November and not after March. I don't count early October or anything in April just to give myself some cushion.


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## SpeedoJosh (Jun 15, 2013)

Immune system strength definitely plays a role. Mortality rate is 25% in people who contract the below. Sounds scary, but that's got to be a one-in-a-million chance right there considering how many people flock to these waters here vs the number of infections here. I'll still be washing my hands and carrying some sort of alcohol wipes from now on though. Only takes that one cut to potentially loose a limb. 

"V. vulnificus is 80 times more likely to spread into the bloodstream in people with compromised immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease. When this happens, severe symptoms including blistering skin lesions and septic shock can sometimes lead to death.[9][10] This severe infection may occur regardless of whether the infection began from contaminated food or an open wound.[10]"


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

I guess if you keep enough alcohol in your bloodstream it may offer some protection? That's my plan anyway.


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## Hook (Oct 2, 2007)

Cipro


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

I am sure as hell not an infectious disease specialist, but I think the overly sterile environment we have created and live in could contribute to problems like this.

Using antibacterial soap, everything we eat, drink or touch is super sanitized. People my age [53] when younger were over prescribed antibiotics for a common cold. 
In European countries you have to be on a death bed to get penicillin. I got it for everything as a child. 
We as a society have developed weak immune systems and resistance to treatments from being over prescribed antibiotics. Just one super bug is gonna wipe us out. 
Its time to get back to gargling with table salt in warm water for a sore throat and Mecuricome for cuts and scrapes. Not amoxicillin. Kids don't even get ring worm anymore! But its hard to get ringworm sitting on the sofa playing X-Box.

I survived the Mumps, Chicken Pox, and a few cases of the Clap when younger. Sliced my foot open more than once on oyster shells in hot summer water temps and been finned by hard head catfish. 
Lucky I guess.


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## KnotSure (Jul 8, 2017)

SHO-NUFF said:


> I am sure as hell not an infectious disease specialist, but I think the overly sterile environment we have created and live in could contribute to problems like this.


I'm a firm believer in that. You can be clean without having to be sterile.
I've been cut by coral and stabbed by see urchins in Okinawa, sliced open by broken bottles in lake Texoma, and had leeches burned off of me with cigarettes in Maine. I've also had my share of oyster gashes and have been stabbed in both hands by hard-heads. Not to mention spine stabs by various fishes over the years, gill-plate slices and the occasional oops while cleaning fish etc.
I don't get flu shots, at least since I was old enough to have a say so.
And I haven't been sick in years. Dirty livin' I guess. :whistling:
But I have empathy for the ones who get a paper cut and and have to get their arm lopped off or worse.


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## arthurpete (Oct 10, 2007)

Here is a good read on it. DePaola was the lead seafood microbiologist for the FDA, his specialty was Vibrio and he lives on Mobile Bay_. _Basically, Vibrio prefers the lower salinity of brackish waters and is generally a Memorial Day to Labor day issue. You are unlikely to catch it swimming in the gulf unless we get a big rain event.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/07/flesh-eating_bacteria_easy_to.html


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

:thumbsup:



> "There are absolutely safe places to swim, which are the front Gulf beaches. That's where 90 percent of the people are," DePaola said, referring to the beaches east of Fort Morgan, including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Pensacola and along the Panhandle of Florida. "If you are in Mobile Bay or any of our inside waters, pretty much everywhere you go is higher risk, even up to where you use a freshwater fishing license, above the bridges on Fish River or Dog River. Anywhere in the Mississippi Sound is another area of higher risk."
> 
> 
> The issue, DePaola said, is salt. Vibrio bacteria perish in the salty waters of the open ocean.
> ...


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

sad to hear.
pays to be extra careful and have basic first aid stuff around for small injuries.
thanks for sharing.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm blaming facebook.....no really - I am!


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## 104449 (Jun 9, 2017)

so it prolly in the back of Bayou Chico too???


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks for posting Inn Deep. Raising the awareness of people is half the battle won.


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

That's why I quit eating raw oysters, bad liver Dr told me to not eat them. I had ate some the week before my CBC blood test. My liver enzymes (dead cells) were 10 times higher than normal. it's suppose to be 15-25 range mine was 225.


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## Big E Nuff (Oct 4, 2007)

Bayou Texar	is sampled weekly from March 1st to October 1st

SOURCE INFORMATION
Escambia County beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. Prior to July 2011, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tested for both Fecal Coliform and Enterococci to determine water quality in fresh, brackish and marine water environments. Due to resource cutbacks in the Healthy Beaches program, the state now tests only for Enterococci.

Monitoring results are collected on two schedules, weekly and bi-weekly on Mondays & Tuesday and results are posted on to the Florida Healthy beaches website Thursday. Samples will be collected the following week if bacteria counts exceed acceptable levels. Samples are collected year round at some Florida beaches, however Escambia's monitoring season is from March to November. Only Bayview Park Pier and Sanders Beach are monitored year round. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday during the peak swimming season. A beach is marked Green when single sample results show Enterococci counts below 104 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml of water or when the geometric mean of 5 samples are fewer than 35 MPN (Most Probable Number) colonies of Enterococci per 100 ml of water. A beach is marked Red when two consecutive single sample results show Enterococci counts above 104 cfu/ 100 ml of water or when the geometric mean of 5 samples is greater than 35 MPN of Enterococci / 100 ml of water. A beach is marked Grey when there is no current or reliable monitoring information available. Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also known as flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths have been attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come into contact with the bacteria.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH
2017
Pass
Fail
17%
83%
Status	Percentage
Pass	83
Fail	17


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

When I think about all the times I waded mullet fishing with the summer crotch rot!!! How bad would that have been


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## Fishing Grandpa (Jul 2, 2017)

kingfish501 said:


> I mullet fish for friends almost every day that I am not king or Spanish fishing. Constantly finned, getting mullet out of the net and into my keep bag, or while cleaning, took multiple long deep gashes from a big sheephead on my thigh, cut by gill plates, etc. Then, too, running through jungles exposed me to every type germ and bacteria both known...and unknown...to man. You might be onto something. Stronger immune systems? Maybe exposed to some and human systems can build an immunity? Or sheer dumb luck?
> 
> Had to edit...damn smartphone changed a bunch of key words.


 Kingfish, I want to thank you for, 'running through jungles!'.


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## perdidochas (Jul 21, 2009)

Inn Deep said:


> Warning Warning Warning !!
> There is Flesh Eating Bacteria in Bayou Texar!! If you have Open Cuts Do Not Get in the Bayou!! A family friend has lost her entire leg this past week! Please pass the word along!!
> It only takes hours before the effects start to take place. I'm talking hours not days. Please be careful if you have open cuts.


Question: Did you family friend have any kind of health problems--diabetes, etc.? I hope she heals as well as she can.


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## perdidochas (Jul 21, 2009)

holicori said:


> You'd think with how nasty that vibrio is that they would have some scientist out testing for it and drawing a map of where it is and where it's moving to.
> 
> Some scary shit.
> 
> ...


From what I've read, vibrio exists in warm brackish/salt water along the coast of the U.S. When you hear of a case, it's not because it's moved down the coast, but because somebody with a compromised immune system has gotten a cut, and been in the water.


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## Fishing Grandpa (Jul 2, 2017)

Deceiver said:


> so it prolly in the back of Bayou Chico too???


 I bet it is! Fifty years or so ago, I used to swim/fish on up in Bayou Chico.
That water was pretty nasty even back then. No telling what kind of nasties live there now! Fishing was great there back then. Is it still full of fish?


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## speckledcroaker (Mar 23, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

I use beerseptic for all my wounds.


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## perdidochas (Jul 21, 2009)

fla_scout said:


> Got a friend of mine that has had it twice in the last year. He is fine now but never was one that took antibiotics or washed his hands in the antiseptic stuff. Not saying this means a lot but I think as you use the squirt bottles of hand wash and try the stuff to protect you from the every day bacteria it causes other problems.
> 
> I say there is a lot to be said for building your immunity by just being sick some times instead of the antiseptic world we live in.
> 
> Just my opinion and I don't want to discourage normal cleanliness but there is a point we overprotect ourselves and cause harm.


Does your friend have some kind of health problem--like diabetes, or circulatory problems? Every case I've heard about that had major complications from vibrio has had some kind of major health problems.


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## ABC (Apr 20, 2008)

just for an ounce of prevention, we have fresh water, soap and saline wound wash on the boat to immediately clean any cuits.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Fishing Grandpa said:


> I bet it is! Fifty years or so ago, I used to swim/fish on up in Bayou Chico.
> That water was pretty nasty even back then. No telling what kind of nasties live there now! Fishing was great there back then. Is it still full of fish?


The chemicals from Reichold probably killed all the vibro in the bayou...after eating the bottom paint off all the boats.


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## Worn Out (May 10, 2008)

*I asked the head of the Florida water quality department ...*

last year when a friend lost his leg ,if the state tested for Vibrio when they tested for other bacteria...His reponse : "Vibrio is ubiquitous, therefore no reason to test."...I looked up "ubiquitous" just to confirm its' meaning ...it means generally present, everywhere....


Big E Nuff said:


> Bayou Texar is sampled weekly from March 1st to October 1st
> 
> SOURCE INFORMATION
> Escambia County beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. Prior to July 2011, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tested for both Fecal Coliform and Enterococci to determine water quality in fresh, brackish and marine water environments. Due to resource cutbacks in the Healthy Beaches program, the state now tests only for Enterococci.
> ...


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## timjb83 (Jan 23, 2013)

Update on my friend from page 1:

Dermatologist appt today confirmed poison ivy. Apparently some trees and brush were cleared, mulched, and dumped near the coastline of the bay where we waded. Due to the recent rain, it washed the clippings and dust particles in the water, creating a film on the surface. His prolonged exposure in the film, saturated in his skin causing the blisters and rash..

ALL CLEAR FROM VIBRIO!!

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## wtbfishin' (Jul 31, 2016)

Hook said:


> Cipro


 This crap (Cipro) can be just about as bad as Vibrio, for certain individuals it has crippling results and you won't know until you take it. 

Vibrio has been around for ever, but it sure seems we're hearing of more and more cases than ever before.
Here is a shot of what this demon bacteria looks like once contracted. This lady supposedly just had her feet in the water at Myrtle Beach, no mention of an open cut?


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## Too Tall 2 (Aug 26, 2009)

She was kayaking in texar with her grandson. They flew back to Colorado and she is in the hospital in Colorado, so its not very publicized in the area yet.


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## Greenjeans (Jul 6, 2008)

I have a co-worker down in the Orlando area who contracted this after fishing line cut a few of his fingers when he got wrapped up after a fish hit his line. He blew it off for the first few days and then the infection set in and he lost a few of his fingers as a result. Definitely no joke. I think of all the times I have launched and recovered a boat in the nasty brackish water at Sherman Cove. Never had an issue yet and thankful for that. Will pay more attention. I think the advice of having antiseptic onboard is good advice.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Too Tall 2 said:


> She was kayaking in texar with her grandson. They flew back to Colorado and she is in the hospital in Colorado, so its not very publicized in the area yet.


Is she sure it happened in Texar and not Colorado? The first symptoms would have occurred in the first few hours.


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## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes I am positive it was bayou Texar. Yes Vibro will be more infectious to those with immune and or liver problems. I'm not sure why the Health department has not been on this. 
It does happen in hours in most cases. She was in the bayou 1 day then flew here grandson to Colorado the next day. By the time she got off the plane her leg looked like the photo posted earlier. 
There are a few different type of Flesh eating bacteria. The poster earlier was correct. This is Vibro! It can be the worst.
It can attack healthy people as well. You chances are not near as bad if you have healthy immune system.
There have been 5 cases in Mobile this summer. Some of them were never in the water, just cleaning fish,
There was a popular chef here that died 2 years ago from, Vibro. They know he died from vibro but cannot confirm how he got it. The family believes it was from cleaning fish.


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## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Update: A fourth ( 5th now) case of Vibrio virus has been reported in Mobile. You can read more about the latest case here.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is warning people with cuts, abrasions and certain health conditions to avoid the water after reports of three cases of flesh-eating bacteria.

The bacteria - known as Vibrio - is found in lakes, rivers, along the coast and in other warm, brackish bodies of water. The bacteria can lead to destructive soft-tissue infections and other illnesses.

"Most soft-tissue infections occur with either injury or with conditions such as poorly controlled diabetes or low immunity. However, sometimes otherwise healthy people can develop a skin infection after skin injury and being exposed to natural bodies of water. Some bacteria can cause more severe infections than others," said Dr. Karen Landers, Assistant State Health Officer, ADPH.

Three cases of flesh-eating bacteria have been reported in Alabama since March. One case involved the consumption of raw oysters from another state, the other two people - both of whom had open wounds - contracted the bacteria in water near Mobile Bay, the Mississippi sound and Dauphin Island areas. All of the victims have recovered from their illnesses.


How do you contract Vibrio?

Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring organism that is found in warm brackish waters, such as bays or gulfs, particularly during summer months. Infection can come through exposure to water containing Vibrio or eating raw or under-cooked seafood from those areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are roughly 80,000 Vibrio infections each year, 100 of which are fatal. In the past year, there have been 30 Vibriosis cases in Alabama.

Can people spread Vibrio to each other?

No. It comes from contaminated water and undercooked seafood. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of Vibrio vulnificus.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms from Vibrio can include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever, shock, skin lesions and wound infections. Infections can be particularly dangerous for those with a compromised immune system, including those with liver disease or cancer.

The bacteria is typically referred to as "flesh eating" due to its destruction of soft tissues in the infected area.

Illness typically begins within three days of exposure, but it can take as long as a week for symptoms to appear.

What are the treatments?

Depending on the type of Vibrio, treatment can vary between monitoring and administering fluids to replace those lost from diarrhea to aggressive antibiotics and treatment of wound sites. In severe cases, the bacteria can lead to the amputation of infected limbs. Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50 percent of the time. 

ADVERTISING

How can you prevent Vibrio?

One of the primary ways to prevent Vibrio is to avoid exposure to water if you have open wounds or sores.

"If you have open wounds, cuts, abrasions and sores, stay out of the water. Persons with low immune systems, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and other chronic conditions should avoid eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters," Dr. Landers said.

The CDC recommends:

Stay out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes), or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if there's a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water
Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to seawater
If you develop a skin infection, tell your medical provider if your skin has come into contact with brackish or salt water
Wear clothes and shoes that can protect you from cuts and scrapes when in brackish or salt water.
What else?

Thoroughly cook seafood, especially oysters
Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
Do not eat those shellfish that do not open during cooking.
Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.
Wear protective gloves when handling raw seafood.


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