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DSHS Promotes Awareness of Harmful Bacteria in Coastal Waters
AUSTIN August 2, 2018 - Warm weather in Texas brings a higher risk of marine water-related infections, including those caused by the Vibrio bacteria which are naturally found in coastal water. Most infections occur between May and October, when the warmer water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico promote the growth of these bacteria. Texas has averaged 90 Vibrio infections per year for the last 10 years. People can become ill after eating raw or undercooked contaminated seafood, particularly oysters, or when a person has an open wound that is exposed to seawater. Illness due to eating raw or undercooked seafood usually includes gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and chills. These symptoms frequently occur within 24 hours of eating and last approximately three days. Wound infections can cause redness, swelling, large blisters on the skin, skin ulcers, and, in serious cases, may even lead to limb amputation or death. People with a weakened immune system, liver disease, diabetes, cancer, or other chronic diseases or who have decreased gastric acidity are at highest risk for severe illness. People who develop a skin infection or gastrointestinal symptoms that may be due to Vibrio bacteria should contact their medical provider immediately. They should inform their medical provider if their skin has been in contact with brackish water or seawater, raw seafood, raw seafood juices, or if they ate raw or undercooked seafood before they became ill. DSHS recommends the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection:
In 2017, 30 percent of Vibrio cases reported in Texas were due to water exposure and another 21 percent to shellfish consumption with the exposure unknown in the remaining cases. Most cases with water exposure had cuts, bites, scratches or other pre-existing wounds. The majority of cases with shellfish consumption had eaten raw oysters before becoming ill. Additional information on Vibrio infections in Texas is available at http://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/disease/vibrio/ |
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