Officials from the Town of Falmouth are on alert after a case of a potentially deadly bacteria is being linked to Old Silver Beach.
The CDC reported the confirmed case of Vibrio vulnificus, also known as a flesh-eating bacteria, on August 8th.
Other cases have surfaced in Florida and Louisiana this year, and officials say it's pretty rare in the northeast.
“Vibrio bacteria normally live in warm, salt or brackish waters along the Atlantic coast,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Heat waves and above-average water surface temperatures create favorable conditions for Vibrio bacteria to grow, making May through October generally the peak season for these bacteria. People with open wounds who spend time in the water, or those who consume contaminated shellfish, can develop an infection when the bacteria enter the body. Sometimes these infections can spread through the bloodstream and cause severe, even life-threatening illness.”
There are no closures locally, but the town is advising not to go into the water with open wounds.
(Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: SAEED KHAN / AFP / Getty Images