vibrio vulnificus

A neurologist, an internist and an infection control expert join the show to discuss what made news in the health care this past month.

A range of peer-reviewed academic papers are reporting Vibrio vulnificus is prevalent on beaches due to climate change, warming oceans and its endemic population.

Floodwaters bring increased risk of infections from Vibrio bacteria, The number of infections spiked after Hurricane Ian inundated Southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm in 2022.

Researchers used DNA samples and findings to conclude the presence of two particularly concerning species in coastal waters: Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus.

A rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus and its spread northward have heightened concern. The CDC is trying to make more doctors aware of the pathogen.

He says most of the human population is not susceptible to infection from Vibrio vulnificus, but those with open wounds or certain conditions should avoid warm, brackish water.

The health department says 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus have been confirmed statewide this year, with two deaths in Hillsborough County, and one each in Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties.

People are being warned after FAU researchers find that Vibrio bacteria is aggressively sticking to plastic particles in the Sargassum seaweed.

Four months after Hurricane Ian, shards of debris have been washed onto the coast and lawns, and there is a spike in the number of cases of very dangerous flesh-eating bacteria.

The Florida Department of Health reports 28 cases and six deaths in Lee County from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection that thrives in warm, brackish water.