ONE-ON-ONE: DHEC warns about ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria being found in cases nationwide

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — A rare ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria has killed dozens of Americans this year and cases are being seen in South Carolina as well.

“We do see a handful of cases every year. For the last three or four years, we’ve had around 35 cases on average,” said Dr. Jonathan Knoche, DHEC medical consultant. “So far, this year we’ve seen 27 cases of vibrio in South Carolina. The last death we had was a few years ago.”

What is vibrio and how does it enter the body?

“Vibrio is a bacteria that lives naturally in warm ocean water or brackish water,” Knoche said. “There are a number of vibrio species that can cause illness in people. Most of the time it comes from people eating raw or uncooked seafood or from having an open wound exposed to the bacteria in the water.”

After entering the body, the bacteria produces an infection. 

“For people that ingest the bacteria, they’ll have GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever,” Knoche said. “For people with an open wound that becomes infected, there will be redness at the site. The bacteria will spread to the bloodstream and can cause more serious problems like septic shock.”

According to the CDC, each year 80,000 Americans contract the bacteria and 100 die from the infection. 

Dr. Knoche says there are preventative measures you can take to avoid the bacteria.

“This year in South Carolina hasn’t been out of the ordinary but we continue to recommend not eating raw or undercooked seafood,” he advises. “If you have an open wound, consider not going in open water or put a bandage on it so it avoids getting an infection on your skin.”