Dozens of flesh-eating bacteria cases confirmed off NC coast
LIVE WITH HOW THE MANHUNT
PLAYED OUT.
>> DOZENS OF FLESH EATING
BACTERIA INFECTIONS HAVE BEEN
CONFIRMED NOW IN NORTH
CAROLINA, IT'S CALLED VIBRIO
AND HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE PUT
OUT A WARNING ABOUT THIS ALONG
THE GULF AND ATLANTIC COASTS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M DAN HAGGERTY AND I'M ASHLEY
ROW. WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN
CASES THIS YEAR AND WE'RE
STARTING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT
MAY BE. SO JOINING US LIVE IN
STUDIO TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT. THIS IS WRAL,
CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTER LIZ
MCLAUGHLIN, LET'S LET'S START
WITH WHAT EXACTLY IS AND WHAT'S
THE DANGER HERE.
>> SO GIVE REAL IS ASSAULT,
LOVING BACTERIA. IT LIVES IN
WARM BRACKISH WATER, MOST
RANGE. JUST CAUSE STOMACH
UPSET. BUT THE RIO VULNIFICUS
IS THE REAR DANGEROUS ONE THAT
CAN TURN A TINY CUT INTO A
FLESH, EATING INFECTION.
IT MOVES QUICKLY. THE CDC SAYS
ABOUT ONE IN 5 CASES ARE FATAL
AND SOME PATIENTS DIE WITHIN
48 HOURS, ACCORDING TO DATA
FROM STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS,
NORTH CAROLINA HAS SEEN AN
INCREASE IN THESE CASES IN
RECENT YEARS. THERE'VE BEEN
ABOUT 59 VIBRIO INFECTIONS AND
ONE DEATH SO FAR THIS YEAR,
JUST LOG THROUGH JULY AHEAD OF
THE PEAK SEASON IN ONE PATIENT
IN THE OUTER BANKS SHARED THESE
PHOTOS WITH US. HE SAYS HE'S
BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MORE
THAN A WEEK FIGHTING THE
INFECTION. IS THE PICTURES
AWFUL HEARING ABOUT 48 HOURS?
IT IS IS AWFUL WHY IS THIS
HAPPENING NOW? WHAT'S DRIVING
THIS INCREASE?
>> SCARY STUFF. AND ESSENTIALLY
THE WATER IS HOTTER THAN USUAL.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE FUEL
CENSORS NEAR CAPE HATTERAS HAVE
RECORDED MID-EIGHTIES CEASER
FIXED SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES
FOR MORE THAN 40 CONSECUTIVE
DAYS. THAT'S ABOUT 2 DEGREES
HIGHER THAN THE 30 YEAR
AVERAGE. SO WARMER WATER
COMBINED WITH JUST THE RIGHT
SALINITY REALLY ALLOWS THIS
BACTERIA TO FLOURISH.
>> AND THE TEMPERATURE HAS
ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR FOR MANY
BACTERIA. THE HIGHER THE
TEMPERATURE, THE MORE QUICKLY
THEY'RE GOING TO REPRODUCE.
SO WHAT'S ON THEM? NOT ORDER OF
10 TO 15 MINUTES FOR THEM TO
MAKE ANOTHER COPY OF THEMSELVES
TO REPRODUCE FROM ONE TO 2 TO 4
BACTERIA. AND SO EVEN IN A
MATTER OF HOURS, YOU CAN HAVE A
VERY SERIOUS INFECTION ON YOUR
HANDS.
>> AND CLIMATE DRIVEN, HEAT AND
RAIN EVENTS ARE WIDENING THAT
DANGER ZONE. SO IT'S REALLY
MORE AREAS IN MORE AREAS AND
FOR A LONGER PART OF THE YEAR.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT
OURSELVES FROM THIS LIST?
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS AVOIDING
EXPOSING OPEN WOUNDS TO SALT
WATER OR BRACKISH WATER IS ONE,
EVEN SOMETHING LIKE A FRESH
HAD 2 OR A NICK FROM SHAVING
COUNTS. SO IF YOU DO GET IN
WASH WITH WARM SOAP AND CLEAN
WATER RIGHT AFTER THE RIO CAN
ALSO BE IN RAW SEAFOOD SO YOU
CAN CONSUME IT. WE'RE JUST
TOUCHING IT. SO ESPECIALLY
OYSTERS, REALLY COOKING
SHELLFISH THOROUGHLY IS GOING
TO HELP AN EARLY WARNING.
SIGNS INCLUDE REDNESS,
SWELLING, BLISTERING AROUND A
CUT WITHIN A DAY OF WATER
EXPOSURE. SO IF THAT HAPPENS,
GO TO THE ER IN FAST AND A BOX
AND SOMETIMES SURGERY ARE THE
ONLY WAY TO STOP THAT IS
UNNERVING. BUT I APPRECIATE ALL