After the calamitous Hurricane Milton hit Florida on Oct. 9, a dangerous type of bacteria has been rapidly spreading in brackish waters.
Mrs. Saundra Hand, eighth-grade English teacher in the Voyagers team, expresses her thoughts on the flesh-eating bacteria. She says that it’s not really a flesh-eating bacteria.
“It’s not flesh-eating if you have healthy skin, only when you don’t have healthy skin, makes the part, flesh-eating, apply,” Mrs. Hand said.
This type of water is found in the ocean, but mostly found in bays. These bays include the Chesapeake Bay, the Lemon Bay, the Sarasota Bay, and much more found near the Tampa Bay area.
The bacteria, known as Vibrio Vulnificus, is a rare flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in brackish waters. People have been contracting the bacteria from being in brackish waters with open, untreated wounds.
Although it is called Flesh eating, you shouldn’t worry too much about the name. It’s only called this because of how it can break down unhealthy skin and tissue.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Fever
- Chills
- Skin redness or rashes that eventually become swollen and painful
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness, fainting or weakness in the body
- Signs of low blood pressure
- Fast heart rate
- Confusion
- Altered mental state
Vulnificus can also lead to stomach flu because of nausea and vomiting.
The way the bacteria spreads is by water. At any point, if the bacteria reaches your area, you could be drinking the bacteria-infected water. According to Mrs. Hand, if this happened to her, she would “immediately go to the hospital” and tell the doctor about what happened.
Although, there are easy ways to prevent the bacteria from affecting you. If you have a wound that is open, put a bandage on it, sanitize the wound, and stay away from bodies of water in general. If you get your wounds in the water, wear covers for your hands and feet.
Ms. Sona Sharma-Chibber, seventh-grade science teacher in the Champions team, is also concerned about the flesh-eating bacteria.
“I have a concern about it, but with it it is life threatening and I don’t know if they have a treatment,’ she said. “But I think we can all take precautions by washing our hands and doing the best to take care of ourselves. But if we end up being infected, despite the efforts, it would be unfortunate for most people because it spreads through wounds.”
Although Vibrio Vulnificus is very lethal, lots of people still go to Florida for the beaches and attractions.
“The bacteria doesn’t scare me, but as an ocean-lover, I’ll still go in the water, but with some precautions,” Mrs. Hand adds.
