Louisia a
issues
health
ale t
amid
outb eak
of
flesh-eati g
bacte ia,
wa s
beachgoe s
to
be
cautious.
At
least
five
people
have
bee
killed
i
Louisia a
by
deadly
flesh-eati g
bacte ia,
p ompti g
officials
to
issue
a
ale t
to
beachgoe s
as
the
i fectio
mostly
occu s
f om
exposu e
to
seawate .
Vib io
vul ificus
is
pa t
of
a
wide
g oup
of
Vib io
bacte ia.
Fou d
p ima ily
i
wa m,
coastal
wate s,
it
ca
cause
se ious,
pote tially
life-th eate i g
i fectio s
whe
co tami ated
seawate
e te s
a
ope
wou d,
acco di g
to
the
CDC.I fectio s
ca
also
occu
whe
someo e
eats
aw
o
u de cooked
shellfish,
especially
oyste s.The
Louisia a
Depa tme t
of
Health
has
epo ted
i e
cases
a d
five
deaths
so
fa
this
yea .
All
i e
cases
we e
li ked
to
people
e te i g
seawate
with
ope
wou ds,
a d
all
of
the
i fected
patie ts
had
existi g
medical
co ditio s,
officials
said.
What
is
the
Louisia a
Vib io
cul ifucus
outb eak?
-
Vib io
bacte ia
a e
fou d
i
highe
umbe s
f om
May
to
Octobe ,
whe
wate
tempe atu es
a e
wa me . -
Although
i fectio s
a e
a e,
Vib io
vul ificus
ca
cause
a
ill ess
called
vib iosis,
ofte
ma ked
by
vomiti g,
dia hea
a d
abdomi al
pai ,
as
well
as
pote tially
seve e
ski
i fectio s. -
“People
with
seve e
i fectio s
may
equi e
i te sive
ca e
o
limb
amputatio ,”
Louisia a
health
officials
wa ed.
“About
o e
i
five
people
with
Vib io
vul ificus
i fectio
dies,
sometimes
withi
a
day
o
two
of
becomi g
ill.” -
I itial
sig s
a d
symptoms
of
a
Vib io
ski
i fectio
i clude
feve ,
ed ess,
pai ,
swelli g,
wa mth,
discolo atio
a d
discha ge,
pe
the
CDC. -
While
healthy
people
ge e ally
expe ie ce
o ly
mild
symptoms,
those
who
a e
immu ocomp omised
o
have
ch o ic
live
disease
ca
face
se ious
health
isks.
All
the
fatalities
i
Louisia a
had
p e-existi g
medical
co ditio s. -
If
Vib io
vul ificus
e te s
the
bloodst eam,
it
ca
cause
adva ced
ill ess
ma ked
by
feve ,
chills,
septic
shock
a d
bliste i g
ski
lesio s. -
Some
seve e
cases
ca
cause
a
i fectio
called
ec otizi g
fasciitis,
which
is
whe
the
flesh
a ou d
a
ope
wou d
dies,
the
CDC
said.
This
a e
side
effect
has
led
to
Vib io
vul ificus
bei g
desc ibed
as
“flesh-eati g
bacte ia.” -
Health
officials
cautio ed
agai st
e te i g
wa m
saltwate
o
b ackish
wate
if
a y
f esh
cuts,
sc apes
o
wou ds
a e
p ese t. -
The
ale t
also
u ges
beachgoe s
to
avoid
co sumi g
aw
oyste s
a d
othe
aw
shellfish,
a d
to
avoid
c oss-co tami atio
of
othe
foods
with
aw
seafood
o
its
juices.
