VIP Class Notes (Jesse) [R]
Next Class Focus
But if youāve got plans to hit the beach near Delaware Bayāor somewhere warmerāthis summer, donāt panic. The likelihood of you or a family member falling ill with an infection caused by flesh-eating bacteria is low. But people with the following health conditions are more at risk:Ā liver disease,Ā diabetes, and any illnesses that decreaseĀ immune system function. (Certain cancer treatments can do this.)
There are a few steps you can take to protect yourself. First of all, you should be conscious of any open wounds on your bodyāeven those as small as a minor cutābefore diving in. Consider slapping a waterproof bandage on those wounds before you go for a swim. Additionally, Dr. Doktor says, if you areĀ immunosuppressed, avoid eating undercooked or raw shellfish. Lastly, since crabbing is somewhat of a cornerstone in the Delaware Bay region, Dr. Doktor recommends participating in the activity cautiously. āIf [you] do go crabbing, wear gloves when shucking the crabs,ā she says. And if you end up wading in the water while crabbing, put your shoes on. Specifically, Dr. Doktor says you should wear boots that will protect your legs.
Again, the chances of developing an infection from flesh-eating bacteria are quite slim. But it canāt hurt to be prepared as you head to the beach during the next few months.
Vocabulary
scalpel – the knife to cut with during surgery
blushing – when your face turns red because you’re shy
primary student – primary school studentĀ
you will become medium-rare
1 – rare
3 – medium rare
5 – medium
7 – medium well done
10 – well doneĀ
12 – burned / charcoal – all black
after I had been in the department for 1 month
Reading
Youāve probably heard ofĀ flesh-eating bacteria (back teer ree ya), which can cause a deadly infection calledĀ necrotizing fasciitis (fashi eye tis). The horrifying infection made headlines recently whenĀ a 12-year-old girl contracted itĀ after going for a swim in Florida. The technical term for this flesh-eating bacteria isĀ Vibrio vulnificus, orĀ V. vulnificusĀ and there are two ways you can be exposed to it: By coming into contact with it in the water or by eating seafood thatās been contaminated with it. Up until very recently, necrotizing fasciitis infections have been associated with warmer beach destinations such as those of South Florida. This is becauseĀ V. vulnificusĀ lives in waters with surface temperatures higher than 55.4 degrees Fahrenheit. But researchers are now warning that, due to global warming, we could start seeing more of this flesh-eating bacteria in typically cooler areas like New Jersey.
In fact, we already are seeing more of it in the Delaware Bay area, according to aĀ report publishedĀ recentlyĀ in theĀ Annals of Internal Medicine.
The Delaware Bay sits in between New Jersey and Delaware coastlines. The authors of the new report, who work at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey, warn that infections caused byĀ V. arenāt uncommon in the Chesapeake Bay, which is further south than the Delaware Bay. However,Ā V. infections resulting from exposure in the Delaware Bay were rareāuntil recently.
In the eight years leading up to 2017, Cooper doctors saw only oneĀ V. infection at their hospital. But during the summers of 2017 and 2018, they saw fiveĀ V. necrotizing fasciitis infections.
Katherine Doktor, MD, lead author of the new analysis, tellsĀ Health, āTheĀ Vibrio bacteriaĀ like warm water. Usually, itās found in the Gulf Coast.ā But when she and her coworkers started noticing more cases ofĀ V. in New Jersey, they decided to notify the public that beach goers and physicians should know about the trend. āGiven our findings, we wanted other clinicians to be aware they might be seeing Vibrio infections in cooler places, and they should be aware of it,ā Dr. Doktor says.
She adds that if the temperatures of ocean waters continue to rise, necrotizing fasciitis could be seen more and more in cooler environments. āI would be concerned that if the waters continue to warm as the climate gets warmāif things keep continuing to get warmerāinfections seen in tropical areas may start to appear in greater numbers in more northern areas.ā This is terrifying considering how dangerous necrotizing fasciitis actually is: Serious complications such asĀ sepsisĀ and organ failure are common once a person develops necrotizing fasciitis, which turns fatal quickly.
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