CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man between the ages of 40-50 is the first patient diagnosed with vibrio alginolyticus, better known as 'vibrio' in Nueces County this year, according to a news release issued by the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District on Friday.
Health district officials stated that the man reported being bit by an insect, and that the bite became infected after he went "swimming in the ocean."
Vibrio is a bacteria that people can be exposed to by either eating raw or uncooked shellfish, or by swimming in brackish water -- a mixture of freshwater and sea water -- with an open wound.
It is common in water where oysters are found, and between May and October when water temperatures are warm.
Some species are known to be life-threatening.
Symptoms of vibrio include:
- Watery diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Chills
- Severe Pain
- Blistering skin lesions
People who are more prone to infection include those who:
- Have liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia.
- Receive immune-suppressing therapy for the treatment of disease.
- Take medicine to decrease stomach acid levels.
- Have had recent stomach surgery.
- If you are in a group more likely to get vibriosis:
- Wear clothes and shoes that protect you from cuts and scrapes when in brackish or salt water.
- Wear protective gloves when handling raw seafood.
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