Florida: Five dead from vibrios – danger also in Germany

2023-08-21 16:48:00

Infection by bacteria Five dead by vibrios in Florida – risk of infection in German waters too

Several people died in Florida as a result of a vibrio infection (symbol image)

© Stefan Sauer / DPA

Five people have died from vibrios in Florida. According to a media report, the deaths have occurred since the beginning of the year after an infection with the bacteria. Vibrios also occur in German waters such as the North and Baltic Seas.

An infection with Vibration is rare. However, if you become infected with the rod-shaped bacteria, you should let as little time as possible elapse. Because an infection can be fatal, as several cases in the US state of Florida show. Five people have died from Vibrio infection in Tampa Bay on the Gulf of Mexico since January, Fox News reports. According to the local authorities, there have been 26 cases of illness so far this year.

In 2022, there were 74 cases and 17 deaths in Florida attributed to the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. The numbers were so high last year because a hurricane dumped sewage into the sea, increasing bacteria levels.

“Infection progresses very quickly”

Vibrios are bacteria that live in various bodies of water and, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), are found “worldwide in both fresh and salt water”. They multiply particularly at a salt content of 0.5 to 2.5 percent and a water temperature of 18 to 20 degrees and more. The risk of infection is higher in flat and quickly warming coastal areas.

People with an open wound should avoid entering bodies of water as the bacteria can enter the body through it. Infection can also occur through contact with seafood – injuring yourself processing raw sea fish or consuming both raw and undercooked seafood. In addition to the USA and Israel, isolated cases of this kind have also been registered in Germany.

If an infection occurs, you should act quickly. Because the incubation period is only about 12 to 72 hours “and the infection progresses very quickly,” writes the district of Western Pomerania-Rügen on its website.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some Vibrio vulnificus infections cause what is known as necrotizing fasciitis, in which the flesh around an open wound dies. In immunocompromised people, on the other hand, it can trigger a severe course of the disease.

Those infected with the species Vibrio vulnificus often suffer from blood poisoning that occurs quickly, as well as fever and chills. Infection with the bacterium species Vibrio parahemolyticus is more likely to cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract. The Vorpommern-Rügen district warns in general of the consequences of a Vibrio infection: “Progressing skin and tissue destruction can even lead to the amputation of extremities in the worst case.” If you react too late, the infection can also be fatal. An infection should therefore be treated promptly with antibiotics.

In addition to immunocompromised people, people with chronic pre-existing conditions such as diabetes mellitus, liver, heart or cancer diseases and those over the age of around 60 are particularly at risk.

Not only in Florida: Vibrios detected in the North and Baltic Seas

Vibrios have also been detected in water bodies in Germany. Such bacterial infections have been statistically recorded in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since 2003. Since then, the state office has counted 84 infections, ten of which were fatal. “The diseases known to the RKI usually occurred from late June to September. The patients affected were almost exclusively older and had previous illnesses,” it says.

Overall, the number of reported infections has increased in recent years and reached its highest level in 2018 with 17 reported cases. However, she falters a bit. Ten infections were reported last year. Since spring 2020, there has been an obligation to report a Vibrio infection in Germany.

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At the beginning of July, the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (Lagus) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania reported vibrios detected on the Baltic Sea coast for the first time this year. “With the currently prevailing water temperatures from around 20 degrees Celsius, an increased occurrence of vibrios must now generally be expected in the Baltic Sea,” said the statement. An infection in humans has not yet been detected this year. The Vorpommern-Rügen district assumes that infections could increase in the future as a result of climate change. In Europe, the bacteria can also be found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic. However, the salt content of more than three percent does not represent optimal conditions for reproduction.

Sources:Fox News, RKI, District of Western Pomerania-Rügen, LaGuSwith material from the dpa