New Flesh-Eating Bacterial Infection Hits The United States Affecting Five People So Far

The United States is so far the worst Coronavirus hit the country in the world with a total of more than 6 million positive cases and over a hundred thousand deaths. The country now faces another invasion of disease which is an infection triggered by a type of flesh-eating bacteria.

The infection has been reported to affect five people in the U.S. state of Connecticut recently and the health officials there have issued warnings to the people of the area to take precautions.

As the government of the United States is already struggling to keep the COVID-19 outbreak under control, this new bacterial and highly infectious disease poses a new threat to the country’s health system. The cases of the disease surfaced in Long Island Sound.

The infection is caused by a form of bacteria that eats flesh. The bacteria responsible for the disease are called ‘Vibrio Vulnificus’. Nearly five people were affected by the infection to date.

The infection can cause serious illness to humans resulting in needing intensive care or even amputation if the case goes severe. This could lead up to necrotizing fasciitis, which means an infection caused by flesh-eating bacteria, which is considered a very serious bacterial infection of the soft tissue and fascia. The news of the infection was announced by the Connecticut Department of Health.

The state epidemiologist for the Health Department, Dr. Mathew Carter says the identification of the cases is ‘very concerning’ as it suggests that the bacteria could be present in salt or brackish water in or near Long Island Sound. He asks the people of the area to take precautions as it could affect them easily if proper safety measures are not taken, reports New York Post.

The first case of this year was detected in July while the other four cases surfaced in the month of August. The affected are all in the age group of 49 to 85. The infection was reported earlier before from 2010 to 2019 with just seven cases which, is very low compared to the current flair.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio falls under the same genus of bacteria that causes infections from raw and undercooked shellfish.

Vibrio Vulnificus can cause a severe infection resulting in the development of life-threatening ailment for the infected especially when the wound comes in contact with an infected shellfish.

As the Vibrio bacteria are currently thought to be present in the salt or brackish water in or near Long Island Sound, the CDC has issued a warning to the people of the area to avoid getting in the saltwater especially the ones with an open wound, it could be from surgery or even from a tattoo or piercing.