The Connecticut Department of Public Health says people with wounds -- including from surgeries, piercings or tattoos -- should stay out of saltwater or brackish water. That includes wading on the beach.
The department says in apress release that an unusually high number of serious bacterial infections have been caused by water in Long Island Sound this summer. Five people have been hospitalized since July after exposure to salt or brackish water in the Sound through activities like swimming, crabbing and boating.
Officials say the culprit is an extremely rare bacterial infection called Vibrio vulnificus. The Centers for Diesease Controlsays severe infections can kill the skin around an open wound, which earns it the nickname of "flesh-eating bacteria." People with the infection could need intensive care or limb amputation. One in five cases are fatal.
All five patients reported in Connecticut this summer either had pre-existing wounds or sustained new wounds that led to the infections. All five were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Only seven cases were reported in the last ten years before the latest spike. The CDC says Vibrio vulnificus infections are most commonly associated with raw shellfish, but also spike during severe weather or floods.
The department also recommends thoroughly washing after exposure to salt or brackish water and undercooked seafood.
