Have a cut or wound? Stay out of the ocean. Rhode Islander dies of bacteria found in saltwater

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Health is warning Rhode Islanders after a resident died from an infection caused by bacteria that live in warm saltwater and brackish water.

The unidentified Rhode Islander died from vibriosis, caused by the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, the Health Department said.

Vibrio bacteria can be dangerous to people if they have an open wound and enter saltwater or brackish water, the Department of Health said. Open wounds include recent cuts and scrapes, recent surgery sites, and recent piercings and tattoos, according to the Health Department.

How common is Vibrio vulnificus?

Infections with Vibrio vulnificus are very rare, and they are much more serious for people with underlying health issues, the Health Department said.

In severe cases, wounds infected with Vibrio vulnificus can lead to sepsis and can be life-threatening, the Health Department said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection require intensive care or limb amputations, and about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

It is more common in warmer months.

“While Vibrio is rare, it is important for anyone at risk to take precautions while spending time in or around brackish water or saltwater when the weather is warm,” Director of Health Dr. Jerry Larkin said. “Stay out of the water and take precautions if you have a break in the skin or open wound, particularly if you are at higher risk for serious illness.”

Have there been there other cases in Rhode Rhode Island?

People can also become infected with Vibrio after consuming raw or undercooked seafood, the Health Department said.

Before this case, Rhode Island’s last reported case of Vibrio vulnificuswas in 2017.

Last summer, the CDC issued a news release describing an increase in severe Vibrio vulnificuscases in the Eastern United States, the Health Department said. Cases were identified in North Carolina, New York and Connecticut in 2023.

For more information, go to the CDC’s website.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI resident dies of infection from Vibrio bacteria found in saltwater