Flesh-Eating Bacteria Kills 2 People After They Ate Louisiana Oysters: What Is It And How Is It Diagnosed?

Recently, cases of Vibrio skyrocketed, resulting in the highest rate of infection in a decade. Health officials are "urging residents to take precautions to prevent infection from Vibrio vulnificus," which is the bacteria that cause an infection called Vibriosis.

Two people have died in Louisiana after eating oysters tainted with the flesh-eating bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus. The development came to light when health officials confirmed to a local media outlet that these two more deaths have brought the total number of fatalities from the bacteria this year from four to six.

According to reports, 14 more people were infected, bringing the number of people impacted by the virulent bacteria to 34. The case skyrocketed, resulting in the highest rate of infection in a decade, and the Louisiana Department of Health announced on July 31, "urging residents to take precautions to prevent infection from Vibrio vulnificus," which is the bacteria that cause an infection called Vibriosis.

What Is Vibrio Vulnificus?

Vibrio is a type of bacteria that naturally lives in coastal waters. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that about a dozen kinds of Vibrio can lead people to get an infection called vibriosis. A person can get vibriosis either by swallowing Vibrio or getting it in a wound, which can cause serious.

Why Is It Called 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria?

The Vibrio bacteria kill body tissues, but do not eat them. Although the bacteria cannot penetrate unharmed skin, they can enter through an existing break in it. And when the bacteria enter the body through a cut or wound, they can cause necrotizing fasciitis, which prompts the flesh around the infection site to die.

"Vibrio vulnificus is a member of the Vibrionaceae family, whose pathogenic species include V. cholera, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus. Vibrio is from the Latin 'to wiggle or vibrate' and vulnificus from the Latin to wound," the National Institute of Health (NIH). "The bacillus is found worldwide and can cause gastrointestinal disease, wound infections, and highly fatal septicemia. V. vulnificus, though the incidence of infection is low, it has the highest number of seafood-related deaths in the United States.

Symptoms Of Vibrio Vulnificus

According to the CDC report, approximately 80,000 cases of vibriosis occur each year in the United States, while 52,000 cases of vibriosis are the result of eating contaminated food. Some of the common signs of Vibrio infection are:

• Watery diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Chills

Signs and symptoms of Vibrio wound infection:

• Fever
• Redness
• Pain
• Swelling
• Warmth
• Discolouration (turning a colour other than normal)
• Discharge (leaking fluids)

Who Is At Risk

Researchers say that anyone can get a Vibrio infection. Whereas some medical conditions may increase the risk for infection and severe complications. They include:

• Having liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia
• Receiving immunosuppressant therapy for the treatment of disease
• Taking medicine to decrease stomach acid levels
• Having had recent stomach surgery

Treatments For Vibrio Vulnificus

The diagnoses for Vibrio infection can be found in the wound, blood, or stool of an ill person. Although antibiotics are not recommended to treat mild Vibrio infections, the CDC recommends that People with diarrhoea or vomiting should drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration. It also stated that 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," The CDC explains.

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