The US beaches where deadly flesh-eating bacteria lurk in the water (2024)

Nervous beach-goers may be on red alert for signs of jellyfish and sharks lurking in US waters this summer.

But doctors and marine biologists say people should be just as concerned about a threat they can’t see.

Dangerous bacteria, some of which eat the body from the inside out, lurk in the sand, ocean water, rivers, and lakes, latching on to open cuts or accidentally being swallowed.

Effects of swallowing these bugs in sea or lake water can range in severity from nausea and diarrhea — to lethalsepsis, coma, limb amputation and, in worst cases, death.

And while many types used to be contained to Southeastern states and along the Gulf of Mexico, in recent years they've been spreading to waters all over the country.

For instance, the deadly flesh-eating vibrio vulnificus bacteria has, over the past year, been detected at beaches up and down the Eastern seaboard; off the coast of Long Island, in Connecticut, at beaches and shellfish restaurants in Florida, and more.

This is because the rise of global temperatures, which raise water temperatures, has created a more hospitable environment for harmful bacteria like vibrio and Staphylococcus aureus, allowing them to survive for longer periods of time in places they’ve never lived before.

Below, DailyMail.com highlights the dangerous organisms that could infect you the next time you walk barefoot on a pool deck or jump into a lake without bandaging even the smallest of cuts and scrapes.

THE FLESH-EATING BACTERIA INVADING THE EAST COAST

V. vulnificus causes necrotizing fasciitis – essentially eating you from the inside out and rotting the flesh.

It thrives in warm sea waters and in the mixture of fresh and saltwater found where rivers and oceans meet.

People with open wounds can be exposed to the bacteria while swimming in the ocean or handling raw seafood.

Vibriosis, the infection that results from exposure to the bacteria, can also result from eating raw or undercooked shellfish. Infection through that route does not rot the flesh, but it can cause sepsis, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when an infection has entered the bloodstream.

Once the bacteria enters a wound, it can multiply at breakneck speed, causing direct damage to cells. It produces a variety of enzymes and toxins that break down proteins, fats, and collagen, leading to the destruction of skin and muscle tissue.

It does this while evading the body’s immune system and resisting immune cells’ attempts to destroy it.

The bacteria trigger a whole-body inflammatory response, which leads to further tissue damage. This damage is compounded by the disrupted blood supply to the infected area, resulting in the death of tissue under the skin.

The deadly bacteria sickened 11 people in just three states on the East Coast last summer, and five of them died. There were seven infections in North Carolina, two in New York and two in Connecticut all during a record-breaking heat wave.

The changing climate has a direct impact on the bacteria’s survival and its ability to infect unsuspecting water sports enthusiasts.

Approximately 80,000 cases of vibriosis are diagnosed in the US each year, and about 52,000 of those cases are a result of eating contaminated seafood.

One of those cases was South Carolinian Brent Norman, who on his daily walk on the beach stepped on contaminated sea shells that resulted in severe foot swelling.

The flesh around his heel appeared blistered, red and swollen, which led him to go to the doctor who later confirmed he had contracted V. vulnificus from contact with the water.

Norman told ABC4 Newsthe pain was 'as if someone had driven... a nail through my foot.'

DRUG-RESISTANT BUG AT BEACHES AND IN BACKYARDS

Infections from Staphylococcus aureus or its cousin, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), can cause flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis.

Staphylococcus aureus, a category of bacteria that encompasses MRSA, most commonly causes a skin infection resulting in boils, blisters, and rashes. It already lives on the skin and in people’s nasal passages, where it is harmless.

But when the bacteria enters an open wound, even a minor cut, they multiply quickly and invade the layer of tissue below the skin, the connective tissue around muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels.

Like vibrio, the bug produces enzymes that allow it to evade the body’s immune response. It also secretes toxins that prompt a massive inflammatory response, which strengthens the bacteria and its ability to eat away at a person.

It can spread from person to person, so it is most commonly found in high-traffic areas like daycares, gyms, and public transportation.

But it also thrives in natural bodies of water that have been contaminated with human waste, such as beaches near wastewater treatment plants.

The bacteria also flourishes in improperly chlorinated pools and hot tubs. People who swallow contaminated water or have a wound that comes into contact with it can get sick.

The S. aureus and MRSA bacteria also grow in warm, freshwater settings including lakes and rivers, and have been detected in the Great Lakes, including the beaches around Lake Erie.

And it has been found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, especially waters close to urban centers.

Fivebeaches on the coastof Washington state have shown signs of MRSA lurking in the water and on the beach. Soon after that sampling was done in 2008, researchers found MRSA on beaches on Catalina Island off the coast of southern California and on beaches in Florida.

In 2017, a three-year-old boy in Texas developed an infection after spending the day on a lake with family.Red spots on the toddler’s body soon became bleeding sores, and he developed a fever.

He then developed bloody lesions all over his body that had begun to turn black. Doctors were able to treat him with antibiotics, but the boy was still in pain while showing signs of recovery.

Staph infections are typically treated with antibiotics and must be administered quickly to avoid worsening infection.

Bacteria can evolve and become resistant to different types of antibiotics that target them relatively quickly. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria now pose a global health threat, as more people with bacterial infections will have to go without an effective treatment simply because a new one hasn’t been invented yet.

The incidence of disease caused by this family of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is increasing globally. Three decades ago, MRSA accounted for roughly two percent of all Staph infections. In 2003, it was the cause of 64 percent of infections.

THE DOZENS OF DEADLY BACTERIA HIDDEN ALONG THE BOARDWALK

Group A streptococcal (GAS) can cause flesh rotting similar to Vibrio and Staphylococcus.

There are more than 120 strains of group A streptococcus, which is the bacteria that causes GAS infections.

GAS thrives in warm, humid environments. The warming global climate allows for the bacteria’s longer survival and ability to eat away at a person’s skin.

David Ireland of Orlando, Florida died five years ago at the age 50 after a short battle with necrotizing fasciitis caused by GAS.

Doctors operated on the father of two multiple times, removing 25 percent of his skin in the hopes of stopping the disease, but it wasn't enough.

According to his brother, he wasn't a frequent lake or ocean swimmer, though he did often visit the pool in his condo development, which may have been the source.

Strep A is typically found in the throat and on the skin, where it typically causes no problems.

When spread through coughing, sneezing, or in close contact with an infected person, GAS can cause strep throat, an infection of the throat and tonsils.

But when that bacteria enters the bloodstream — usually via a break in the skin — it can causepotentially deadly effects.

Since 2010, the number of annual reported cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by GAS have been estimated to be between 700 to 1,200.

Up to one-in-three people infected with GAS who have necrotizing fasciitis die.

Particles can linger on hard surfaces – such as pool railings, countertops and snack bars along beach boardwalks, as well as buttons and joysticks on arcade games.

Those particles, called fomites, can linger on surfaces on a hot, sunny day for minutes to hours, waiting to latch onto an unsuspecting vacationer with minor cuts or blisters on their skin.

POOP-DERIVED PATHOGEN POSES A THREAT IN POOLS

Enterococcus does not cause flesh-rotting necrotizing fasciitis, but it still leads to severe health problems.

The bacteria are a common cause of urinary tract infections, endocarditis - an infection in the lining of heart valves - and blood infections.

It enters the body when contaminated water is swallowed or comes into contact with an open wound. Infection via wounds can lead to abscesses.

It dwells in all types of bodies of water – rivers, lakes, oceans, as well as swimming pools and hot tubs.

Because the bacteria naturally dwells in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans without causing harm, water contamination can occur when fecal matter from animals or humans enter the water, either through sewage systems or as runoff from farms.

Enterococcus has been detected on a range of beaches, including Palm Beach in Florida to Malibu in California and Oahu in Hawaii.

In addition to leading to UTIs, which affect the bladder, urethra, and kidneys, and endocarditis, enterococcus can cause bloodstream infections called bacteremia, meningitis leading to inflammation in the membranes surrounding the brain, and gum infections.

The infections are typically treated with antibiotics. But many strains have evolved to evade the medications, which poses challenges to treating them effectively.