Florida is recovering after taking direct hits from two major hurricanes.
Residents have another problem to deal with in the aftermath.
And Florida residents got a dire warning about this scary nightmare after the hurricane.
Florida warns of a rise in deadly bacteria after the hurricanes
Florida residents are picking up the pieces after Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the state’s Gulf Coast.
The flooding caused by the hurricanes created another danger for residents of the Sunshine State.
Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are on the rise.
The Florida Department of Health warned tourists and residents to avoid floodwater that could contain Vibrio bacteria.
This year, 70 cases of Vibrio bacterial infections have been reported to the health department which have caused 11 deaths.
The Gulf Coast counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota have had a rising number of cases after the hurricanes.
“After heavy rainfall and flooding, the concentration of these bacteria may rise, particularly in brackish and saltwater environments,” the Florida Department of Health stated.
Vibrio bacteria usually live in warm coastal waters.
It can cause illness when it is exposed to an open wound or ingested.
Raw seafood or shellfish can contain it.
“Healthy individuals typically develop a mild disease; however Vibrio vulnificus infections can be a serious concern for people who have weakened immune systems, particularly those with chronic liver disease,” the Florida Department of Health stated. “The bacterium can invade the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness with symptoms like fever, chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock) and blistering skin lesions.”
Some Vibrio bacteria infections can lead to “a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Florida man survives severe case of deadly bacteria
Peter Volpi, Jr., a 68-year-old, nearly lost his life after contracting Vibrio vulnificus.
“I was like becoming disoriented, getting dizzy at the beach, stuff like that. I just didn’t think nothing of it,” Volpi said.
The Pinellas County resident noticed that his stomach was bloating but he dismissed it as weight gain.
Volpi tried to wait it out until the situation required a trip to the hospital.
“It’s the most excruciating pain I ever felt,” Volpi said. “I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, totally disoriented, holding onto the wall. I could feel my will slipping away, like just saying I’m done, just let it go. That was the scariest part.”
He spent months in the hospital recovering from the infection and had multiple surgeries.
Volpi believes that he got the infection swimming in the Gulf of Mexico after the hurricane.
He will have to spend months in a rehabilitation facility and learn how to walk again.
“It loves warm water. In the Gulf of Mexico waters often are over 80°, approaching 90° so it’s having a field day. There is lots and lots of it out there. Lots of it ends up in the shellfish, and you can easily become sick,” University of South Florida biology professor Valerie J. Harwood told Tampa news channel WFLA.
Florida residents have another scary situation to avoid as they try to recover from the hurricanes.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
