As coastal waters warm this summer, SheKnows turned to ID Care’s Dr. Sukrut Dwivedi, infectious disease section chief at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center, for guidance on Vibrio vulnificus — the bacterium known as “flesh-eating bacteria.” He explained that it thrives in warm coastal waters and that most infections occur from late spring through early fall, with exposure coming from raw or undercooked shellfish or from open wounds in contaminated seawater. People with conditions like chronic liver disease or diabetes face the highest risk, and warmer waters are now pushing the bacteria farther north into the Northeast.
To reduce risk, Dr. Dwivedi advised keeping wounds out of seawater (or covering them), washing after contact with saltwater or raw seafood, avoiding raw shellfish for children and high-risk individuals, and checking beach advisories before swimming. Because severe infections move quickly, he urged seeking care immediately after possible exposure.
Read the full article on SheKnows: Flesh-Eating Bacteria Is on the Rise. Here’s How to Keep Your Kids Safe This Summer.
