CNN: 5 die after being infected with cholera-related bacteria

[expatriot]

At the bottom of this CNN article, the growing threat of disease claims more lives.

New Orleans mayor orders holdouts removed

# The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that five people have died in the area hit by Hurricane Katrina after becoming infected with Vibrio vulnificus, typically a more benign relative of the bacteria that cause cholera. One of the fatalities occurred in Texas; the other four were in Mississippi, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said.

[imperialismispasse]

1. Here we go.

The worst is yet to come.

[babylonsister]

2. Oh, no! I wonder if this is contagious? nt

[benburch]

5. Cholera is beyond contageous.

In disasters it is often the leading killer.

[babylonsister]

6. But story says this strain is more benign. Hard to be

an optimist when hearing stuff like this.:-(

[expatriot]

12. "usually more benign" i.e. would not kill if medical care was available nt

[alarimer]

24. This is NOT cholera

It is a related bacteria, not trasmissible through person to person contact.

[all.of.me]

3. this is just the beginning.........

[hatrack]

4. Welcome to Haiti

Y'all come back now, y'hear!

[paparush]

7. Interesting reference to Haiti

We have friends who lived in Haiti for years and flew out on August 31st to return to Haiti for another year. He is a physician. He is called to serve the people of Haiti.

As the conditions of New Orleans became clear, my friend Steve said, "No electricity, no running water, no food, contagious disease...Haiti deals with that every day."

[hatrack]

10. My hat's off to your friend!

The fact that he would sign up for another year doing what needs to be done under some of the worst conditions imaginable says a lot about what kind of person he is. :toast:

[malmapus]

14. Another interesting reference to Haiti

Right before I was deployed to Haiti in 94, my unit was sent to Ft. Polk , LA for a JRTC exercise in which we were "being deployed to a tropical island nation."

[Alpharetta]

8. How cholera is spread

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/cholera_g.htm#How%20does%20a%20person%20get%20cholera

How does a person get cholera?

A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera, and a few persons in the United States have contracted cholera after eating raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico. The disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. It's not quite as bad as described

First, it's not cholera per se, it's a cousin. Cholera is Vibrio cholerae, and the organism involved here is Vibrio vulnificus. It's a much less pathogenic species -- of course, it can kill, especially when people who are starving, dehydrated, and traumatized contract it.

I don't expect any kind of disease outbreak from the disaster so far. But in a few days, incubating broods of flies and mosquitos will start hatching; New Orleans is an ideal breeding ground now. The insects will distribute all the pathogens as widely as they can, which raises the chances of an infectious disease outbreak.

Parasitic intestinal worms are also likely to be a problem. They're not particularly dangerous unless they go untreated, but they're ubiquitous, especially in warmer climates. The good news is that they can be treated with about a dollar's worth of anti-helminithic medicine.

--p!

[leveymg]

11. CDC: What is Vibrio vulnifucus?

What is Vibrio vulnificus?
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/vibriovulnificus_g.htm

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium in the same family as those that cause cholera. It normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt.

What type of illness does V. vulnificus cause?

V. vulnificus can cause disease in those who eat eat contaminated seafood or have an open wound that is exposed to seawater. Among healthy people, ingestion of V. vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In immunocompromised persons, particularly those with chronic liver disease, V. vulnificus can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock), and blistering skin lesions. V. vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time.

V. vulnificus can also cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater; these infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulceration. Persons who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for invasion of the organism into the bloodstream and potentially fatal complications.



How common is V. vulnificus infection?

V. vulnificus is a rare cause of disease, but it is also underreported. Between 1988 and 1995, CDC received reports of over 300 V. vulnificus infections from the Gulf Coast states, where the majority of cases occur. There is no national surveillance system for V. vulnificus, but CDC collaborates with the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi to monitor the number of cases of V. vulnificus infection in the Gulf Coast region.



How do persons get infected with V. vulnificus?

Persons who are immunocompromised, especially those with chronic liver disease, are at risk for V. vulnificus when they eat raw seafood, particularly oysters. A recent study showed that people with these pre-existing medical conditions were 80 times more likely to develop V. vulnificus bloodstream infections than were healthy people. The bacterium is frequently isolated from oysters and other shellfish in warm coastal waters during the summer months. Since it is naturally found in warm marine waters, people with open wounds can be exposed to V. vulnificus through direct contact with seawater. There is no evidence for person-to-person transmission of V. vulnificus.



How can V. vulnificus infection be diagnosed?

V. vulnificus infection is diagnosed by routine stool, wound, or blood cultures; the laboratory should be notified when this infection is suspected by the physician, since a special growth medium can be used to increase the diagnostic yield. Doctors should have a high suspicion for this organism when patients present with gastrointestinal illness, fever, or shock following the ingestion of raw seafood, especially oysters, or with a wound infection after exposure to seawater.

How is V. vulnificus infection treated?

V. vulnificus infection is treated with antibiotics. Doxycycline or a third-generation cephalosporin (e.g., ceftazidime) is appropriate.

Are there long-term consequences of V. vulnificus infection?

V. vulnificus infection is an acute illness, and those who recover should not expect any long-term consequences.



What can be done to improve the safety of oysters?

Although oysters can be harvested legally only from waters free from fecal contamination, even legally harvested oysters can be contaminated with V. vulnificus because the bacterium is naturally present in marine environments. V. vulnificus does not alter the appearance, taste, or odor of oysters. Timely, voluntary reporting of V. vulnificus infections to CDC and to regional offices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will help collaborative efforts to improve investigation of these infections. Regional FDA specialists with expert knowledge about shellfish assist state officials with tracebacks of shellfish and, when notified rapidly about cases, are able to sample harvest waters to discover possible sources of infection and to close oyster beds when problems are identified. Ongoing research may help us to predict environmental or other factors that increase the chance that oysters carry pathogens.



How can I learn more about V. vulnificus?

You can discuss your medical concerns with your doctor or other health care provider. Your local city or county health department can provide information about this and other public health problems that are occurring in your area. Information about the potential dangers of raw oyster consumption is available 24 hours a day from the FDA's Seafood Hotline (telephone [phone]); FDA public affairs specialists are available at this number between 12 and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information is also available on the world wide web at:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov.

Some tips for preventing V. vulnificus infections, particularly among immunocompromised patients, including those with underlying liver disease:

Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly:
For shellfish in the shell, either a) boil until the shells open and continue boiling for 5 more minutes, or b) steam until the shells open and then continue cooking for 9 more minutes. Do not eat those shellfish that do not open during cooking. Boil shucked oysters at least 3 minutes, or fry them in oil at least 10 minutes at 375°F.
Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.
Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water, or to raw shellfish harvested from such waters.
Wear protective clothing (e.g., gloves) when handling raw shellfish.

[leveymg]

15. This is the part that applies most to rescue workers:

V. vulnificus can cause disease in those who . . . have an open wound that is exposed to seawater. . . V. vulnificus can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock), and blistering skin lesions. V. vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time.

Anyone climbing around in storm-damaged structures is going to be at great risk of cuts, scrapes, punctures and other wounds that will likely be exposed to contaminated seawater.

What should that tell us? If your job was to protect life and safety of personnel under your command, would you order your people into storm water-filled structures to search for bodies? Hell, no.

This tells me that it is unlikely that were will be a large-scale recovery effort to recover bodies inside structures. The approach will then be, in some areas, to demolish and burn the debris.

This is one reason why the authorities are now trying really hard to get everyone to leave New Orleans. No cameras, please.

[skooooo]

13. poor man's disease

so who cares?

[JoFerret]

21. Phew! that''s a relief

women are naturally immune?

[enough]

16. kick

[icymist]

17. Disease claims first Katrina victims

Disease claims first Katrina victims
By Patrick Moser and Mira Oberman in New Orleans
08sep05

BACTERIA in contaminated water has killed five people rescued from Hurricane Katrina, officials have said, adding a worrying new dimension to the disaster.

Experts made a new warning not to even touch the floodwaters in New Orleans.
Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the five died this week from vibrio vulnificus, a rarely active bacteria that is part of the cholera family.

He said one case was reported in Texas and the others in Mississippi. No details were available, but Mr Skinner confirmed that all had been evacuated from areas pounded last week by Katrina.

The spokesman said more deaths from the disease were likely: "There will be some more deaths associated with vibrio vulnificus in the affected areas, particularly New Orleans," he said.

http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,16531513%255E1702,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16531513-5001160,00.html

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1485602,00050001.htm

[Cooley Hurd]

18. The days to come...

...will be unspeakably sad. Death - lots of death.:cry:

[icymist]

19. Not contagious.

"Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headache and fever. If the bacteria infects the bloodstream, the mortality rate is 50 per cent, according to the CDC, but it is not contagious.

CDC Director Julie Louise Gerberding said the disease "in no way resembles cholera"."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16531513-5001160,00.html

[ninkasi]

20. It will claim many more

...and never, ever forget that while the victims of Katrina suffered and died, Bush ate cake and played a guitar. Even worse, there were many groups who were turned away from rescue operations by FEMA. And this moron thinks "Brownie" is doing a great job? Only if his job is to kill as many Americans as he can.

[louis-t]

22. I think this is purposely being downplayed

I think it is a more serious threat than CDC or EPA is letting on. Remember that air around WTC was called "safe". Has Cheney altered CDC report yet? No science allowed.

[alarimer]

23. Vibrio is ALWAYS present in salt water

Don't know about fresh. I wouldn't worry too much about this. The one is Texas is likely not storm related. We get several cases every year. Some fatal from an infection left untreated too long. It wouldn't surprise me, though, if some Katina victims got it. The usual path is through an open wound. Left untreated, it leads to infection that can result in the loss of limbs or even death. But it is a naturally occurring bacteria (well I guess so is cholera). It is not a sign of polluted water (but I am sure it is found there as well); it is always present at background levels. Most victims are fishermen or people who work in and around salt water. Please, please don't panic about this.

Found this:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/vibriovulnificus_g.htm

I see others beat me to this. But in any case, the CNN article left out a lot of info.