North Carolina
At least 5 deaths from flesh-eating bacteria in Connecticut, New York, North Carolina
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a national health alert Friday to warn clinicians to be on the lookout for infections with the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus.
During July and August, as the US saw widespread heatwaves and above-average coastal sea surface temperatures, Connecticut, New York and North Carolina reported more severe and fatal V. vulnificus infections. At least five people have died in those states.
The bacteria naturally live in coastal waters and proliferate in the warmer months when ocean temperatures are at their highest.
While most people have become sick after eating raw or undercooked seafood, people can also get infected after swimming in the ocean with an open wound, such as a recent piercing or tattoo or even a minor cut or scrape.
SEE ALSO | 3 NC deaths from vibrio infections connected to open cuts near brackish water
People can also be exposed to the bacteria when hurricanes, floods and storm surges force coastal waters inland. For example, in the days after Hurricane Ian last year, Florida health officials reported 38 cases and 11 vibriosis-related deaths attributed to the storm.
The bacteria like warmer temperatures and in the past, the bulk of US infections were reported by people who lived in Gulf Coast states. But as the climate crisis warms the oceans and brings more heat waves, doctors have treated an increasing number of cases in states along the East Coast.
The US typically sees about 80,000 illnesses connected to Vibrio bacteria every year, the CDC estimates. Not all species are considered “flesh-eating,” and about a dozen species make humans sick. People who develop an infection often have diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills.
Vibrio vulnificus is one of the bacteria that can cause what’s commonly known as a flesh-eating infection. Of the 150 to 200 Vibrio vulnificus cases reported to the CDC every year, about 1 in 5 die from the infection, sometimes within one or two days of getting sick.
Necrotizing fasciitis eats away at the skin, muscles, nerves, fat and blood vessels around an infected wound.
SEE ALSO | Sanford woman loses thumb but survives flesh-eating bacteria
In more severe cases, people can develop septicemia. This is more common for those with underlying health conditions, particularly liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or other diseases that suppress the immune system.
Septicemia is when the bacteria enters the bloodstream and spreads. It can cause fever, chills, low blood pressure or skin blisters.
This may lead to septic shock, when blood pressure takes a dangerous drop. The bacteria releases toxins into the bloodstream that could cause extremely slow blood flow, damaging tissue and organs.
It can also cause sepsis, in which the body mounts a strong immune response that shuts down important organs like the heart or the kidneys. Or it can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, a condition in which oxygen from the lungs doesn’t reach the blood. This can cause brain damage and permanent lung damage.
If the infection moves into the bloodstream, the consequences can be fatal.
Typically, the fatality rate is about 25% with wound infections, studies show. It’s much higher for people who are exposed to the bacteria by eating contaminated food.
With skin infections, doctors will take samples from the infected area to determine if vibrio vulnificus is what’s causing the problem. Doctor will drain any abscesses and treat the infected site. If there’s necrotizing fasciitis, a person may need surgery or surgeons may even have to amputate the affected limb to keep the infection from spreading.
The CDC says people who suspect they have an infection should get treatment quickly since they will have a better chance of surviving the infection. This bacteria has developed some antimicrobial resistance, and about 50% of infections don’t respond to antibiotics anymore.
SEE ALSO | Michigan construction worker discovered he had flesh-eating bacteria when his skin fell off in the shower
The only real way to avoid a Vibrio infection is to avoid exposure to the bacteria. Make sure seafood is well-cooked, avoid raw or undercooked oysters or other shellfish and wash hands after handling it raw.
The CDC suggests people with skin wounds should stay out of the ocean and avoid brackish water, or at least cover the wound with waterproof bandages.
If exposed to salt or brackish water, the CDC highly recommends people wash hands and any cuts thoroughly with soap and water afterward. For people cleaning up after flooding or a hurricane, the CDC suggests wearing shoes and clothes that will protect against cuts.
The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
The 24th-ranked Cal women’s basketball team defeated a ranked opponent for the second time this season on Thursday night when the Bears knocked off No. 21 North Carolina State 78-71 at Haas Pavilion.
“I think this was one of the biggest wins for Cal women’s basketball in some time,” Cal coach Charmin Smith.
The Bears defeated then-No. 19 Alabama back on December 5 at Haas Pavilion, and on Thurday Cal beat a team that reached the Final Four last season.
Marta Suarez scored 17 points for Cal (15-2, 3-1 ACC.), and 14 of those points came in the first half when Cal took control late in the second quarter. Ioanna Krimili, Michelle Onyiah and Kayla Williams added 15 points apeice to help the Bears end the Wolfpack’s seven-game winning streak while keeping Cal unbeaten at home (11-0).
Krimili was just 6-for-18 from the the field, including 3-for-12 on three-pointers, but she hit one of the biggest shots of the game when she nailed a three-point shot with 4:57 left, 21 seconds after the Wolfpack had scored six straight points to close Cal’s nine-point lead to three points.
“She made it when we needed it, and we have a habit of doing that,” Smth said.
North Carolina State (11-4, 3-1 ACC) never got closer than four points the rest of the way and suffered its first conference loss despite 21 points from Aziaha James and 19 from Tilda Trygger.
Cal took the lead for good with 1:01 left in the third quarter, then held off every North Carolina State surge after that.
An important reason for Cal’s consistency throughout the game was the play of point guard Kayla Williams, who played all 40 minutes, shot 7-for-13 from the field and added six assists with just two turnovers while doing all the ball-handling chores and driving the lane to create opportunities for herself or others.
“I thought Williams killed us off the bounce,” North Carolina State coach Wes Moore said.
Williams may be the key to Cal’s success this season, because her strong play has come as a surprise to casual observers. She did not start any games for USC last season when she averaged 10.8 minutes, 2.6 points and 0.6 assists per game. After transferring to Cal, Williams has started every game for the Bears this season while averaging 33 minutes, 12.2 points and 4.6 assists to go along with 44.5% three-point shooting.
Thursday was the first time two top-25 women’s teams played a game at Haas Pavilion since Dec. 22, 2018, when 14th-ranked Cal lost to No. 1 UConn.
Cal led by eight points entering the fourth quarter, and the Wolfpack got as close as three points, but the Bears maintained the lead throughout. Cal had scored the final eight points of the third quarter to break away from a 52-52 tie to grab that 60-52 advantage after three quarters.
Cal held a 39-33 lead at halftime, thanks in large part to a one-minute shooting spree by Suarez. She hit three-pointers on three consecutive Cal possessions over a span of 56 seconds to cap a 16-0 Bears run that took Cal from a 22-14 deficit to a 30-22 lead with 5:22 left in the first half.
Suarez’s one-minute shooting spree seemed to change the complexion of the game. Cal never trailed after that.
“I was feeling it,” Suarez said.
Suarez was 4-for-4 from long range in the first half and had 14 points and 10 rebounds at intermission. The rest of the Cal team was just 3-for-12 on three-pointers, and Krimili was 1-for-7 from beyond the arc at halftime. Her one made three-pointer came from well behind the line with the shot clock running down.
Cal shot 44.4% from the field in the first half, while the Wolfpack made just 35.3% of its shots. Cal attempted just one free throw in the first half, and missed it.
NOTES: The top two scorers from North Carolina State’s Final Four team of last season are starters on this season’s Wolfpack squad – Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers.
Heading into Thursday’s action, Cal was averaging 10.1 made three-pointers per game, sixth-most in the country, and were making 37.8% of its three-point shots, which is 12th-best in the nation.
Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport
A man who fired an assault rifle inside a Washington, D.C., restaurant in December 2016 while claiming to investigate the “pizzagate” hoax died this week after being fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
On the night of Jan. 4, Edgar Welch was a passenger in a 2001 GMC Yukon that was stopped by officers, Kannapolis police said Thursday in a news statement.
The traffic stop was conducted after officers linked the vehicle to Welch, who was wanted at the time on an outstanding arrest warrant, police said.
When officers recognized Welch and moved to arrest him, he produced a handgun from his jacket and pointed it at one of the officers, police said, and after refusing commands to drop the gun, two officers opened fire on him.
He died of his wounds at an area hospital two days later, on Jan. 6, police said.
The three officers involved in the traffic stop and the two other occupants in Welch’s vehicle were uninjured, police said.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to CBS News Thursday Welch’s identity as the “pizzagate” shooter.
Welch fired his weapon inside the Comet Ping Pong restaurant on Dec. 4, 2016, after he drove there from North Carolina to investigate a false far-right conspiracy theory claiming that Democrats were running a child sex ring out of the restaurant, a claim that had garnered numerous threats against the eatery.
After he entered the crowded restaurant with an AR-15 assault rifle and a revolver, he fired the rifle into a door, authorities said at the time. No one was hurt.
He later pled guilty to one federal count each of interstate transportation of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. In June 2017 he was sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji B. Jackson, then a U.S. district judge, to four years in prison.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is expected to give an update Thursday morning on their plans to protect people from this weekend’s winter storm.
UPDATES: School & Business Closings
Several roads across Charlotte have already been treated.
NCDOT said its workers will be on 12-hour shifts to respond to any issues once the storm starts.
>> CLICK HERE for the latest forecast from Severe Weather Center 9
Charlotte Douglas International Airport has airport workers and about 40 trucks on standby to de-ice planes and remove snow from runways.
Channel 9 is monitoring impacts at Charlotte Douglas. You can also check the status of your flight, or visit your airline’s website, on FlightAware.
ALSO READ: Duke Energy preparing for winter storm
Across the Charlotte metro, Channel 9′s Eli Brand reports people are stocking up on essentials at grocery stores.
Duke Energy suggested you get bottled water and nonperishable food, and charge devices just in case ice knocks the power out.
Winter Weather Guide:
Stay with Channel 9 for the latest winter storm coverage.
(WATCH BELOW: Winter weather preparations underway in western North Carolina)
Boston Bruins are No. 30 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings
National Western Stock Show Parade takes place in downtown Denver
Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect
San Diego hotels step up to help Los Angeles evacuees
Milwaukee fatal crash; 58-year-old dead
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Mapping the Damage From the Palisades Fire
Appeals court will not block partial release of special counsel Jack Smith's Trump report
‘Much more persecution’: Venezuela braces for Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration
Mondale and Ford’s eulogies written for Carter read by sons at funeral
Elon Musk Downplays the Role of Climate in L.A. Fires, Scientists Say
-
Business1 week agoThese are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture1 week agoThe 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports1 week agoThe top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics1 week agoNew Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics1 week agoCarter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics5 days agoWho Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
-
Health4 days agoOzempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
-
World1 week agoIvory Coast says French troops to leave country after decades