Florida Beaches Home Vibrio vulnificus
In the months of April and May, eight Vibrio vulnificus cases were reported with two of them resulting in death this year (Galimberti). Vibrio vulnificus is a flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in areas of warm water, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Florida beaches tend to be hot during the summer and autumn which makes Florida beaches a great place for Vibrio vulnificus to live in. So what exactly is Vibrio vulnificus, how is it transmitted, what are the symptoms, and how can we prevents them? What exactly is this bacterium that lives in our Florida beaches?
What is Vibrio vulnificus Vibrio vulnificus is a pathogenic bacteria. It belongs to the Gram negative bacteria species, its motile, curved, rod-shaped (Bacillus). Vibrio vulnificus was first discovered in 1976 in Atlanta from a series of blood culture samples submitted to the Centers for Disease Control. It was first named Beneckea vulnifica but changed to Vibrio vulnificus by a farmer in 1979 (Wikipedia). As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Department (CDC), Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium belonging to the same family as those that causes cholera and Vibrio …show more content…
The CDC collaborated with the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi to record the amount of cases of V. vulnificus infection in the Gulf Coast region. In 2007, infections caused by V. vulnificus and other Vibrio species became nationally evident (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Some tips to prevent V. vulnificus infections are: Avoiding eating raw fish, cooked seafood thoroughly, eat shellfish only when they open after bowling, wear protective clothing- including gloves- when handling raw shellfish, and not entering warm seawater if you have an open wound (Florida's Beaches Are Safe from 'flesh-eating'
In the months of April and May, eight Vibrio vulnificus cases were reported with two of them resulting in death this year (Galimberti). Vibrio vulnificus is a flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in areas of warm water, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Florida beaches tend to be hot during the summer and autumn which makes Florida beaches a great place for Vibrio vulnificus to live in. So what exactly is Vibrio vulnificus, how is it transmitted, what are the symptoms, and how can we prevents them? What exactly is this bacterium that lives in our Florida beaches?
What is Vibrio vulnificus Vibrio vulnificus is a pathogenic bacteria. It belongs to the Gram negative bacteria species, its motile, curved, rod-shaped (Bacillus). Vibrio vulnificus was first discovered in 1976 in Atlanta from a series of blood culture samples submitted to the Centers for Disease Control. It was first named Beneckea vulnifica but changed to Vibrio vulnificus by a farmer in 1979 (Wikipedia). As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Department (CDC), Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium belonging to the same family as those that causes cholera and Vibrio …show more content…
The CDC collaborated with the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi to record the amount of cases of V. vulnificus infection in the Gulf Coast region. In 2007, infections caused by V. vulnificus and other Vibrio species became nationally evident (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Some tips to prevent V. vulnificus infections are: Avoiding eating raw fish, cooked seafood thoroughly, eat shellfish only when they open after bowling, wear protective clothing- including gloves- when handling raw shellfish, and not entering warm seawater if you have an open wound (Florida's Beaches Are Safe from 'flesh-eating'