Health Department Issues Statement On "Flesh-Eating Bacteria"

The State Department of Public Health is now warning the public about Vibrio bacteria in coastal waters after an infection on Cape Cod.

The case was confirmed in an individual who had been in the water at Buzzards Bay beach.

Public Health Commissioner Doctor Robbie Goldstein pointed to "heat waves and above-average water surface temperatures" as "favorable conditions" for the so-called "flesh-eating bacteria."

“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.”

Officials are once again warning anyone with an open wound to not enter the water.

(Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)