Increased Risk of Dangerous Infections From The Bay

[Fishing Report]

Increased Risk of Dangerous Infections From The Bay

Vibrio An unusually hot summer is creating conditions for greater risk of infections from vibrio, a bacteria that can cause serious illnesses in people who swim in warm, salty waters with open cuts, or eat raw, contaminated shellfish, according to a report from the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The conclusions of the state agencies are similar to those of a report released last summer by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which found rising numbers of reported vibrio infections around the Bay, with the apparent increase likely caused by a warming climate and high levels of nutrient pollution.

The photo above is of waterman Mark Allen, who nearly lost his leg to a vibrio infection and spent months in the hospital.

“My leg got so hot, it started to blister and turn black,” recalled Allen, a fourth generation waterman from Hague, Va. “The fever was bad enough that my lips peeled.”

David Paulson, a Maryland health department spokesman, said that watermen and other people who expose themselves to Bay waters in this summer's unusual heat should wear bandages over any cuts, and try to wash their hands afterwards to avoid infection.

"Anyone who is fishing should wash their hands,” Paulson said. “It is better to be safe than sorry.”

Twenty-four vibrio infections have been reported so far this year in the state, but those numbers are likely to rise as more cases are confirmed and as the year continues, Paulson said.

Because populations of vibrio bacteria –- a naturally-occurring saltwater organism -– tend to rise in warm, nutrient-rich conditions, fishermen and swimmers are at added risk this summer because it is hotter than normal, with six or seven heat waves so far, state officials said.

“We’ve seen recent infections associated with swimming or working in brackish bay waters and Maryland’s water temperatures have been higher than normal this summer,” said Frances Phillips, DHMH Deputy Secretary of Public Health Services. “While we want everyone to enjoy fresh Maryland seafood this summer, we also want people to be aware of how to protect themselves from illness and infection.”

A Chesapeake Bay Foundation report last year found that the number of reported vibrio infection cases in Maryland had risen to 33 in 2008 from 18 in 1999, although the reason for the increase is not clear and an increase in reporting could have played a role. Last year, in 2009, 33 vibrio cases were again reported in Maryland, about half of them skin infections and half illnesses from eating raw or undercooked seafood, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Some of the infections from eating oysters may have come from shellfish imported from out of state.

In Virginia, the numbers of reported infections grew from 12 in 1999 to 30 in 2008, according to lat year’s CBF report, which was based on state health department statistics.

The Maryland Department of the Environment, in its press release yesterday, said that nutrient pollution and high water temperatures can play a role in the multiplication of the naturally-occuring saltwater bacteria, along with the right salinity levels. This echoed the conclusions of CBF’s report.

"Recent research has suggested that nutrients (pollution) may play a role in vibrio concentration," the state agency reports. "Vibrio vulnificus bacteria are not commonly found in the winter when water temperatures are low, but may be common in the summer and early fall when water temperatures are warm."

The Bay Journal's new blog reported last week that four cases of vibrio infections have popped up in Calvert County so far this summer, prompting the Patuxent Riverkeeper to advise people to inform themselves about the disease and how to avoid it.

For more facts on vibrio, visit this website from the Maryland Department of Health or this site from the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Article and photo by Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation