{"id":35400,"date":"2023-08-31T18:13:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T22:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=35400"},"modified":"2023-08-31T18:13:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T22:13:26","slug":"mosquitoes-mold-flesh-eating-bacteria-post-idalia-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2023\/08\/31\/mosquitoes-mold-flesh-eating-bacteria-post-idalia-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Mosquitoes, Mold, Flesh-Eating Bacteria: Post-Idalia Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As floodwaters recede and cleanup continues after Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, Floridians face new, but familiar, risks like flesh-eating bacteria, mosquitoes, and carbon monoxide poisoning, health officials warned Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Daniel Dickert wades through water in front of his home where the Steinhatchee River overflowed on Wednesday in Steinhatchee after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At a news conference<\/a> reported by The Tampa Bay Times, state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo urged Floridians to take precautions after Idalia to safeguard their health and the well-being of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a look at some of the dangers highlighted by Ladapo, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nu\u00f1ez, and others at Thursday’s briefing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vibrio vulnificus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most prolific threats to Floridians following a hurricane is Vibrio vulnificus<\/a>, an infection caused by a flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in floodwaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed vibriosis cases surged following Hurricane Ian <\/a>in 2022. According to the CDC, 38 confirmed cases associated with Ian were reported in Lee and Collier counties between Sept. 29 and Oct. 23 \u2014 a 1,100-percent increase over the 5-year median.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom of Form<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, some Vibrio species cause a skin infection when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and salt water, making flood waters ideal for some Vibrio bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While healthy people typically develop mild symptoms including watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever, the bacterium can invade the bloodstream of those with weakened immune symptoms. Symptoms like fever, chills, decreased blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions often accompany life-threatening infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Vibrio vulnificus infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis<\/a>, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. This often is referred to as “flesh-eating bacteria.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the CDC, many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection require intensive care or limb amputations. About 1 in 5 people with this infection die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Florida Department of Public Health, anyone with an open wound should stay out of flood water, standing water, seawater, and brackish water, if possible. If exposed, wear protective gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mosquitoes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing water provides a “perfect, optimal breeding ground” for mosquitoes, said Ulyee Choe, director of the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, according to the Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Idalia, several Florida counties dealt with an uptick in mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria and dengue. So far this year, a total of 11 locally-acquired cases of dengue<\/a> have been reported \u2014 nine in Miami-Dade and two in Broward, according to county health officials. Meanwhile, seven locally acquired malaria cases were reported<\/a> in Sarasota County earlier this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health officials typically advise residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses. Start by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, applying bug spray, and avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, especially during sunrise and sunset when mosquitoes are most active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floridians can also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n