Hurricane Ian brought a particularly nasty guest with it when it hit Florida last year: bacteria that cause an infection that eats away at human flesh.
According to a study published in the mBio journal, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus bacteria – which thrive in warm saltwater and can proliferate during hurricanes – were detected in Southwest Florida after the storm.
Researchers from the University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and College of Medicine contributed to the study. It was conducted last October using genome sequencing as well as satellite and environmental data collected off the coast of Lee County. Hurricane Ian hit there directly.
“Vibrio bacteria naturally occur in the ocean and live symbiotically with crustaceans, zooplankton, and bivalves, such as clams and oysters,” said the University of Florida. “When the bacteria come in contact with humans, some species can cause an infection known as vibriosis, but the side effects depend on the type of Vibrio and severity of the infection. Symptoms can range from gastroenteritis and wound infections to a bacterial infection known as necrotizing fasciitis, which eats away at human flesh.”
Last month, Audacy reported on the death of a man in Texas due to oysters contaminated with Vibrio Vulnificus. He also had liver problems, and experts believe that made him more vulnerable to the infection. While only 150 to 200 V. vulnificus infections are reported every year, about one in five who become infected die.
“We were a little surprised at the detection rates, meaning the ease of finding Vibrios in collected samples, since we were not expecting these pathogens weeks after the hurricane,” said Antarpreet S. Jutla, an associate professor in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida, of the recent study findings on the bacteria in Florida. “We are even more curious about finding antimicrobial resistance genes in the water and Vibrios samples.”
These findings reinforce a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It reported an increase in Vibrio vulnificus bacteria in the eastern part of the U.S. Generally, around 80,000 Vibrio cases are reported in the U.S. each year.
When Hurricane Ian swept in, so did conditions that favored the growth of Vibrio. Hurricane Ian favored the growth of Vibrio bacteria, including the amount of rainfall, changes in sea surface temperature, and concentrations of chlorophyll in the ocean (which can indicate densities of phytoplankton and zooplankton in any given area). Plankton blooms are also associated with the bacteria.
“With Hurricane Ian, we saw an increase in necrotizing (flesh eating) skin and soft tissue infections among those exposed to storm surge in that region,” said Dr. Norman Beatty, an assistant professor at UF’s College of Medicine. “The wound infection can rapidly evolve with pain, redness and swelling.”
Blood-filled blisters can develop at Vibrio infection sites and they require immediate medical attention, Beatty said. Wound infections that are not treated promptly with antibiotics may require surgery to remove infected tissue.
Researchers said the study results highlight how strongly connected climate weather and public health are. With more storms, there could be more incidents when conditions are right for this dangerous bacterium to grow.