A flesh-eating bacteria that kills around 20% of those it affects is turning up in US waters, and swimmers are being warned to be aware of potential symptoms. The bacteria – Vibrio vulnificus – has been detected in coastal waters across large swathes of the US coastline this summer. The CDC warns that it’s “often found” where rivers meet the ocean and can cause a condition known as vibrosis that can lead to necrotizing fasciitis and death. For example, just yesterday Nola.com reported on the case of Steve Wilson, who was fishing off the coast of Mississippi last Saturday and has contracted Vibrio vulnificus. As the article explains, the infection is now “eating away at the flesh of his foot and leg” as doctors battle to avoid amputation. Wilson’s wife, Amanda Wilson, is a registered nurse and told Nola.com, “This stuff is horrible. One minute you think it’s better. Twenty minutes later, he’s crashing” and wants people to know that Vibrio can strike “without warning or any indication of danger.” “This stuff is horrible” The CDC lists the initial symptoms of a Vibrio infection as watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills, and urges people to: “Immediately see your doctor or go to the emergency room if you have symptoms of a Vibrio bloodstream or wound infection. Do not wait.” The CDC also advises preventative measures for swimmers, saying, “If you have an open wound, stay out of saltwater or brackish water”, “cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if it could come into contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices”, “immediately wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and clean running water after contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices,” and “if you are at increased risk for infection, wear clothes and shoes that protect you from cuts and scrapes when in coastal waters.” In addition, the CDC says another strain – Vibrio cholerae – can result in contracting cholera, as one unfortunate woman in Boston discovered after overindulging in seafood. The bacteria have been found at several spots in Long Island, with eight recorded cases in Florida, and warnings in Mississippi. Last summer, the Louisiana Department of Health said (as per USA Today): “Amid increasing water temperatures and extreme weather events (e.g., heat waves, flooding, and severe storms), people who are at increased risk for V. vulnificus infection (those with weakened immune systems and conditions like liver disease, diabetes and kidney failure) … should exercise caution when engaging in coastal water activities.” In 2023, a study reported in Nature linked warming coastal temperatures due to climate change as increasing the bacteria’s spread, as waters that were formerly too cold for it to survive are now hospitable. Trump administration cuts to the CDC have also affected the ability to accurately track the bacteria. As per CBS News, as part of a cost-cutting measure, hundreds of deep-ocean instruments that were part of a $285 million monitoring network used to predict the bacteria’s spread were stripped out. The administration has now reversed course on the plan to fully dismantle the apparatus after bipartisan opposition in Congress.