Flesh Eating Gulf Coast Bacteria Kills 8 – Should Texas Worry?

Depending on what part of Texas you live or swim in, yes - you should totally be worried about this deadly, flesh eating bacteria that lives all along the Gulf coast.

It can be ingested via various, native seafood or the bacteria can find its way into you during a simple swim. Once infected, 1 in 5 people exposed to Vibrio Vulnificus will die.

So far, from Texas to Florida, 8 people in Gulf Coast states have died and 32 are ill.

Vibrio sickens about 80,000 people annually with 52,000 of those cases caused by eating certain seafood according to the CDC.

Most people are sickened by vibrio after eating raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters — because the bacteria will “concentrate” inside the shellfish, the CDC explains. However, they naturally live in brackish water and cause an infection if a swimmer has an open wound — or a recent tattoo or piercing. - people.com

READ MORE: Flesh Eating Worms In Texas

Gulf coast seafood items, (especially oysters), get shipped all over the state so, even though El Paso is pretty damn far from the coast, you should still be careful when, (and how), you order them.

What Are The Signs Of A Vibrio Infection?

That depends on how you got it. The CDC says:

• Bloodstream Infections = Fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure and/or blistering skin lesions.
• Open Wounds, (New Tattoos/Piercings, Etc) = Fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, (turning a color other than normal) and fluid discharges.
• Ingestion, (eating it), = Watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever andf chills.