Officials in just one of the Florida counties recovering from Hurricane Ian are warning that a potentially deadly microbe informally known as flesh-eating bacteria has infected 29 people and killed four as of Friday, bringing the total killed across the state to 11.
The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, which often lives in warm, brackish waters, can spread when there is extensive flooding, such as the floods brought by Hurricane Ian. It can enter the body through direct contact with an open wound and can lead to skin breakdown, ulcers and even death, according to the Lee department of public health. Cases among healthy people are generally mild, the Fort Myers News-Press reported.
Lee county, on Florida’s west coast, has seen an “abnormal increase due to the impact of Hurricane Ian,” state health officials said. John Cassani, who works with Calusa Waterkeeper, a group that protects local waters, told the News-Press the count was “off the charts”.
The number of cases in Lee county is nearly as high as the total number reported across the entire state last year – 34 cases and 10 deaths. In 2017, when Hurricane Irma caused severe flooding, there were 50 cases reported statewide and 11 deaths, according to a statewide tally.
Earlier this month, the Lee county health department urged the public to take precautions to avoid the bacteria. It recommended that people with open wounds avoid brackish water and immediately clean and monitor wounds if they come into contact with flood water.
Collier county, just south of Lee county, has reported three cases of the bacteria, which the state health department said were linked to the hurricane. Overall, there have been 65 confirmed cases and 11 deaths in the state from the bacteria as of Friday, according to the state department of health.