HARTFORD, CT (1010 WINS) -- Five people in Connecticut contracted an illness that can lead to an infection commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria” after they were exposed to bacteria in Long Island Sound waters over the summer, health officials said.
Four men and one woman between the ages of 49 and 85 were diagnosed with Vibrio vulnificus infections — an “extremely rare illness” — in July and August, the Connecticut Department of Public Health said in a statement.
One of the five people is from Fairfield County, one is from Middlesex County and three are from New Haven county, the department said. Two were hospitalized with septicemia, or an infection of the bloodstream, and three were hospitalized with “serious wound infections,” according to the department.
“All five cases reported exposure to salt or brackish water during activities such as swimming, crabbing, and boating,” health officials said. “All five patients had pre-existing wounds or sustained new wounds during these activities which led to the Vibrio infections.”
None of the five people died, the department noted. People who contract Vibrio vulnificus often get seriously ill, and can end up having their limbs amputated.
Vibrio vulnificus infections can also lead to necrotizing fasciitis, an infection that is is often called “flesh-eating bacteria,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Only seven cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection were reported in Connecticut between 2010 and 2019, the health department said.
“The identification of these five cases over two months is very concerning,” Dr. Matthew Cartter, the health department’s epidemiologist, said in a statement. “This suggests the Vibrio bacteria may be present in salt or brackish water in or near Long Island Sound, and people should take precautions.”