Beachgoers urged not to enter water with open wounds, piercings or tattoos as Rhode Islander dies from flesh-eating disease READ MORE: Beach trip could lead to deadly bacterial infection, experts warn By Cassidy Morrison Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 16:52 BST, 9 August 2024 | Updated: 16:56 BST, 9 August 2024 e-mail View comments Summer beachgoers across the US are on high alert following another death caused by a flesh-eating bacteria that lurks in water. A Rhode Islander became the latest victim to die from vibrio vulnificus this week, marking the first death in the state since 2017.
His death followed the passing of a tragic Texas father who waded in water in flip-flops. Vibriosis, the infection caused by vibrio, kills around one in five patients, some within days. In the most dire cases, the bacteria causes necrotizing fasciitis – essentially eating you from the inside out and rotting the flesh .
Dangerous bacteria lurking in coastal waters, as well as rivers and lakes, are becoming more prevalent with warming ocean temperatures. MRSA and enteroccus are some other examples of harmful bacteria Eating seafood harboring the bacteria can also cause life-threatening sepsis , an immune response so strong that the body starts attacking its own cells. The Rhode Island Department of Health has not yet responded to questions regarding which beach the resident had visited or if officials conducted testing in the surrounding areas for evidence that the bacter.