Dangerous bacterial infection has killed three NC residents this summer. What we know
A dangerous bacterial infection has killed three North Carolina residents this summer, officials said.
The deaths were due to vibrio, a bacteria that is naturally found in brackish and saltwater. People can be exposed through open wounds or by eating shellfish or oysters that are raw or undercooked, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Vibrio cases in North Carolina are rare, with most cases being reported in the warmest months — June through September,” health officials wrote July 28 in a news release. “However, vibrio infections can cause severe illness.”
The three people died in July. Though officials haven’t found evidence to link the cases together, investigations continue.
“Two of the three cases had scratches that were exposed to brackish water in North Carolina and another East Coast state,” officials wrote. “The third case also had brackish water exposure in North Carolina, however, the individual also consumed personally caught seafood that was not shared nor commercially distributed.”
The state health department told McClatchy News in a July 31 email that it wasn’t sharing information about those who died, citing privacy concerns. Though state officials didn’t release specific locations where those people were exposed, Dare County reported a fatal case this month.
The county, which lies along the coast and includes part of the Outer Banks barrier islands, told McClatchy News in an email that the case involved someone who was exposed to vibrio in “Buzzard Bay — part of the Albemarle Sound.”
Dare County didn’t identify the person who died in a news release, but the announcement came days after the death of 71-year-old Michael “Mike” Gard of Nags Head, according to the Outer Banks Voice. Gard, described as an “avid waterman,” reportedly had been handling a crab pot in the Albemarle Sound when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis — which can be the result of a vibrio infection.
What to know about vibrio
Vibrio is a bacteria with some strains that can cause an infection called vibriosis. About 80,000 cases are reported in the United States every year, and most people are infected during warmer months, McClatchy News reported.
State health officials warn the infections are a growing threat along the East Coast.
“As climate change increases water temperatures, more vibrio cases can be expected, and they are likely to be identified in previously unaffected areas,” the health department wrote.
So far this year, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported nine statewide cases, resulting in three deaths. That’s up from eight cases and one death at the same time in 2022, according to data as of July 31. Since 2019, eight of the 47 North Carolina residents who contracted a vibrio infection have died, officials said.
People with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of getting seriously sick, and anyone who thinks they might have been exposed is urged to get medical care as soon as possible, according to experts. Symptoms include:
Food-related infections: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sepsis, fever, shock
Wound infections: “pain, swelling, redness, rash, ulceration and breakdown of the skin and surrounding tissues”
To help avoid getting sick from vibrio infections, people are encouraged to cook their shellfish, cover open wounds, and take showers after spending time in the water, according to health officials and The News & Observer.
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