' I' ve had the Vibrio vulnificus that is plaguing Florida' Vibriovulnificus - Hurricaneian HEAD TOPICS

' I' ve had the Vibrio vulnificus that is plaguing Florida'

10/21/2022 4:01:00 PM

The doctor said it was lucky that I went to the hospital—you only have 48 hours before you succumb

Vibriovulnificus Hurricaneian

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Newsweek

'My leg felt like it was on fire!' Stephen Gyland shares his experience with vibriovulnificus in this exclusive Newsweek essay. hurricaneian floridabacteria bacteriainfection The doctor said it was lucky that I went to the hospital—you only have 48 hours before you succumb I think Vibrio vulnificus is more common nowadays—or, at least, the knowledge is more readily available, and doctors know how to treat it. That wasn't the case when I caught the infection in 1995.I was there with my wife and our two kids for our summer vacation. It was towards the end of our trip and we were getting ready to head back on our 40 feet boat to our home in Florida. Stephen Gyland on a recent fishing trip. Gyland caught a Vibrio vulnificus infection while snorkeling in the ocean in 1995.It felt similar to when I'd had impetigo, so I suspected I might have contracted that. But even that didn't seem quite right, as this infection was so aggressive and continuing to swell so quickly. It worked its way up from the heel into my ankle and lower leg. Read more:
Newsweek » A rare but dangerous flesh-eating bacteria is infecting Florida residents Florida sees rise in flesh-eating bacterial infections A rare but dangerous flesh-eating bacteria is infecting Florida residents Surge of 'flesh-eating' bacteria infections plagues Florida following Hurricane Ian

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Shares plummeted 25% in premarket trading after Snapchat’s parent company said it was operating on an assumption there would be no revenue growth in the current quarter. Read more >> A rare but dangerous flesh-eating bacteria is infecting Florida residentsInfections from a flesh-eating bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus have nearly doubled in parts of Florida laden with brackish floodwaters from Hurricane Ian. The bacteria can cause skin breakouts and ulcers. You forgot to somehow blame this on Ron DeSantis. For us, it was Tuesday thx1138_v2 12 monkies strike again Florida sees rise in flesh-eating bacterial infectionsThe state health department has reported 65 vibrio vulnificus infections and 11 deaths this year, compared to 34 cases and 10 deaths in 2021. A rare but dangerous flesh-eating bacteria is infecting Florida residents Hurricane Ian caused storm surges of up to 12 feet, leaving behind warm, brackish floodwaters where Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but dangerous flesh-eating bacteria , thrives. Surge of 'flesh-eating' bacteria infections plagues Florida following Hurricane IanLee and Collier counties in Florida saw increases in flesh-eating bacteria l infections after Hurricane Ian. A Plague Tale: Requiem Review: Ambition Plagued by InconsistencyComingSoon's A Plague Tale: Requiem review breaks down how this narrative adventure jumps between moments of awe, joy, confusion, and frustration. Woman held on $15M bond after allegedly strangling, stabbing 5-year-old daughter to deathThe 5-year-old girl screamed 'I've been good' as her mother strangled her, prosecutors said. No trial…execution. The Abortion culture Sicko areas like Fort Myers , it didn't affect us, even though we were only a couple hundred miles away.A car sits in floodwater after Hurricane Ian in Orlando.By The Associated Press Florida has seen an increase in cases of flesh-eating bacteria this year driven largely by a surge in the county hit hardest by Hurricane Ian .Subscribe to our weekday newsletter Add WBUR to your morning routine The email address entered is invalid It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email Thank you! You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Yet with this most recent disaster, I was not surprised to see there has been an increase in Vibrio vulnificus, known as the"flesh-eating bacteria" infection, in Florida. A lot of people got injured in the storm, and had no choice but to be in the water, and the infection usually passes through cuts and scrapes in water containing the virus. Gerardo Mora/Getty Images toggle caption Gerardo Mora/Getty Images A car sits in floodwater after Hurricane Ian in Orlando. I think Vibrio vulnificus is more common nowadays—or, at least, the knowledge is more readily available, and doctors know how to treat it. In Lee County, where Ian stormed ashore last month , the health department reports 29 cases this year and four deaths. That wasn't the case when I caught the infection in 1995. Gerardo Mora/Getty Images Floodwater contact remains a big risk When it comes to preventing infections, the Florida Department of Health reminds residents to remember that"water and wounds don't mix. What it's like to have Vibrio vulnificus Vibrio vulnificus is a nasty bacteria that flourishes in warm water—it doesn't matter if it's dirty or clear. In fact, when I contracted the infection, I was snorkeling for lobsters in pristine water, by the breathtaking coral reefs of the Bahamas. Those who do come into contact with floodwaters should immediately wash and clean all wounds. “Flood waters and standing waters following a hurricane pose many risks, including infectious diseases such as vibrio vulnificus,” the county health department said in a news release Oct. There was a low southern breeze, and the sea felt calm. I was there with my wife and our two kids for our summer vacation. Overall risk will decrease as the Vibrio vulnificus population shrinks in late October, when Florida's hot weather wanes. It was towards the end of our trip and we were getting ready to head back on our 40 feet boat to our home in Florida. People with open wounds should avoid such water and seek medical care immediately if an infection is apparent. I'd been doing a bit of snorkeling in the past couple of weeks, and wearing flippers that had rubbed and left a blister on my left heel. A couple of hours into snorkeling one sunny day, I had a funny sensation in my foot, around the area of my heel. I knew I had a blister, but this felt more sensitive than just a blister. It hurt—it wasn't stinging, it was more like a burning sensation. The more I snorkeled, the more sensitive it seemed to get, so I came back on board the boat to check it out. When you're snorkeling in the tropics, there are all sorts of corals and jellyfish that can sting you if you touch them, so I thought my foot might have come into contact with something like that. Stephen Gyland on a recent fishing trip. Gyland caught a Vibrio vulnificus infection while snorkeling in the ocean in 1995. Stephen Gyland On the boat, I took off my shoe. My heel was red and you could see the broken skin. Within minutes, it was swollen. Within half an hour, it had swollen to the size of a lemon. After an hour, it was more the size of an orange—my heel had doubled in size, and it was red and bulbous. It was hot to the touch, and started burning a lot. I've had infections before, but I had never had something get so inflamed so quickly. It was like a big, blood-filled blister that kept growing and growing. It felt similar to when I'd had impetigo, so I suspected I might have contracted that. But even that didn't seem quite right, as this infection was so aggressive and continuing to swell so quickly. It worked its way up from the heel into my ankle and lower leg. I was getting worried, not knowing what it was. Within that first hour, when I noticed it advancing so rapidly, I knew we were about four hours away from Florida in our boat. So we put everything away real quick and I told my wife:"We're going home now. And as soon as we get to the dock, I'm going to go to the hospital." Seeking treatment for Vibrio vulnificus By the time I got to the hospital, my whole foot, ankle and the lowest part of my leg were purple and red. It just one big, swollen, bloody blister. They didn't know what I had at the hospital. Vibrio vulnificus seems to be more common now, and more is known about it, but at the time it was very rare and people didn't really know that you could contract it just from being in the water. The doctors took cultures, and lanced the blister. From the way it had grown, I suspected I had Vibrio vulnificus. I'm in the seafood business, and I knew it was a commonly occurring bacteria in warm waters so I thought I might have caught the infection through the break in my skin, because of how warm the water was that time of year. I shared that with my attending doctor. As it would take a few days for the cultures to get back, they put me on an IV with the antibiotic Doxycycline just in case. Vibrio can be so aggressive and deadly that if you suspect it, you'd better treat it rather than wait a day or two for results to come back. Grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria revealed in the 13184x magnified scanning electron microscopic image, 2005. Vibrio vulnificus can be deadly if not treated quickly. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images I improved over the next few hours and I was discharged that night. My leg was still looking pretty ugly—swollen, blistery, not pretty to look at. And it felt like it was on fire. But the doctor said I was very lucky that I had immediately gone to the hospital to get care instead of, say, staying in the Bahamas for an extra day or two, because of how quickly Vibrio needs to be treated. If Vibrio gets into one's bloodstream, you only have maybe 48 hours or so to get treated before you succumb to it. In my business, I've known people who have eaten oysters—which is another way of contracting Vibrio—and died within two or three days as they didn't get treated. Read more .