It’s scarier even than a great white shark because there’s not even a hint of a warning.
You never see a shark fin, you never even see Jaws.
It’s flesh-eating bacteria. Just the name brings chills (which are actually one of the symptoms of the killer bug).
The bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, commonly associated with the “flesh-eating” moniker thanks to its ability to cause infections that damage or “eat away” at skin and tissue, has killed eight people along the Gulf Coast this summer.
The bacteria is creeping northward farther than usual because of the warming of the water, scientists say.
So far it’s been reported as far north as New York and Connecticut – not so far from Maine, really.
A lifelong Florida boat captain, George Billiris, was among the latest victims to report a case.
Billiris is one of the few who survived to tell the tale.
Billiris told CBS News he’s lucky to be alive after the bacteria that lurks in warm coastal water nearly killed him.
Maine typically sees a few cases of vibriosis reported in the summer and fall when the coastal waters are warmer.
“While the risk of Vibrio vulnificus infections in Maine is currently very rare, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a health advisory alerting providers of risks of fatal Vibrio vulnificus infections,” state health officials said.
Another way of contracting flesh-eating bacteria besides swimming is by eating uncooked seafood.
So if the water seems too warm, watch out!
