Maryland health officials are alerting residents and visitors to the presence of flesh eating bacteria in the Chesapeake Bay, as the state continues to track cases tied to warm weather waters.
According to director of the Environmental Health Bureau at the Maryland Department of Health, the state has recorded 29 confirmed cases of Vibrio vulnificus so far this year, along with nearly 100 additional cases considered probable. The bacteria, often referred to as flesh eating due to the severe tissue damage it can cause, occurs naturally in marine environments.
What the bacteria is and how it spreads
Vibrio vulnificus is classified as a gram negative rod shaped bacterium that lives naturally in coastal waters, according to infectious disease specialists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the organism thrives in warmer temperatures, making late summer a period of heightened risk along the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal waterways.
The bacteria can enter the body through an open wound exposed to contaminated water…