alaredsox
Member
BEWARE of Vibrio Vulnificus! This is a deadly bacteria that thrives in warm saline waters primarily in southern coastal waters. It can be contracted by eating raw shellfish or through wounds exposed to the water.
My brother live on eastern shores of Mobile Bay and recently contracted this bacteria through a wound. It causes necrosis and exteme pain and infection. In people who have immunodefeciencies the bacteria often cause acute sepsis and is fatal in 30-50% of documented cases. Wound infection which are not treated immediately are often subject to limb amputation.
He and a friend were fishing on the bay and his friend caught what I refer to as a Steelhead Catfish and because his friend was such a wuss my brother had to get it off his line. In doing so, the fish spun when he tried to retrieve the hook and fined him badly on the hand. The barb went directly into the bone on his hand and he was hit with a triple whammy of cut/poison/infection. He is expected to recover without incident however he does have a raging infection and an extremely sore/swollen hand with a little necrosis all of which are being treated with high doses of antibiotics.
The bacteria has been unusually rampant since the hurricanes and as such please beware of gulf brackish waters especially if you are fishing. The bacteria depends on moderate salinity and warm temperatures to thrive, so to avoid contact of this dangerous bacteria find clean beaches away from brackish waters where the salinity is much higher and the tides are more pronounced. I just wanted to put this out there since many people flock to the gulf during the summer. If you are on a beach where there are a lot shells please consider wearing water safe shoes to avoid being cut. DO NOT eat any fish that came out of brackish waters! The infection which results from wounds is much more severe than if consuming contaminated fish, but neither is pleasant.
My brother live on eastern shores of Mobile Bay and recently contracted this bacteria through a wound. It causes necrosis and exteme pain and infection. In people who have immunodefeciencies the bacteria often cause acute sepsis and is fatal in 30-50% of documented cases. Wound infection which are not treated immediately are often subject to limb amputation.
He and a friend were fishing on the bay and his friend caught what I refer to as a Steelhead Catfish and because his friend was such a wuss my brother had to get it off his line. In doing so, the fish spun when he tried to retrieve the hook and fined him badly on the hand. The barb went directly into the bone on his hand and he was hit with a triple whammy of cut/poison/infection. He is expected to recover without incident however he does have a raging infection and an extremely sore/swollen hand with a little necrosis all of which are being treated with high doses of antibiotics.
The bacteria has been unusually rampant since the hurricanes and as such please beware of gulf brackish waters especially if you are fishing. The bacteria depends on moderate salinity and warm temperatures to thrive, so to avoid contact of this dangerous bacteria find clean beaches away from brackish waters where the salinity is much higher and the tides are more pronounced. I just wanted to put this out there since many people flock to the gulf during the summer. If you are on a beach where there are a lot shells please consider wearing water safe shoes to avoid being cut. DO NOT eat any fish that came out of brackish waters! The infection which results from wounds is much more severe than if consuming contaminated fish, but neither is pleasant.
