Galveston area flesh eating bacteria...

[Bowtech Lefty]

I know a guy that lost his arm to the flesh eating bacteria years ago. He was fishing in the gulf and got poked in the hand with one of the spines on a small fishes back as he was trying to get the hook out of its mouth.

[no1hogkiller]

Make me sqeemish. Yaknow we never get stuck by hardheads.

[Javelin]

I've been told by a couple of doctors that Hibiclens is a much better option than peroxide or bleach. Some say peroxide or bleach will do nothing to kill the bacteria.

yep, I had to clean whole body with hibiclens 3 to 4 days a week for a couple months after I got the infection. I would take a shower, get out, rub down with hiboclens, wait 5 minutes, get back in the shower and rinse it off.

[Chuy]

Hypocleanse!!

I keep this stuff in the boat just in case. Apparently alchol and hydrogen peroxide dont kill it?

I dunno. I thought whisky kills everything

[Tcooper93]

Those who recommended bleach are absolutely correct. Vibrio vulnificans is a bad bug usually found in brackish water near the gulf. It can gain entry through cuts or any break in the skin. If you are relatively young and healthy you are most likely not going to get an invasive infection. Vibrio usually gets bad in older people and those with poor immune systems, or liver disease (ESP alcoholics). I have seen some very bad cases involving loss of limbs. It is treatable with common antibiotics but must be caught quick.

[Sackett]

Vibrio has always been in the water. All these, "I heard so and so that knows so and so...." stories are rumors and speculation. Like most things, people blow it way out of proportion. Bottom line is wash after being in the water and if you have open wounds, spray them with anti- bacterial solution after exposure. If you're an old fart or have a compromised immune system, consider your options.

[stevieray54]

Like Big Thicket Boy stated a lot of people with Immune system problems need to be very careful diabetics,HIV or Hepatitis, cuts scrapes

A you teenage girl swimming over in Mississippi in a river late last year lost all her limps due to Fibro

Be sure you are feeling good and healthy

[Capt.Bryan]

Its not just in salt water, last year my sister in-law got flesh eating bacteria while working in her flower beds in Mont Belvieu. This year my mom and dads neighbor got it while running noodles on lake Houston. He got scratched on the finger from one of the catfish earlier in the day and later that night he started burning up with fever and his hand started swelling like crazy. His wife lanced where the swelling started and washed it out with bleach then rushed him to the emergency room. Doctor said that wasn't the best thing to do but it probably saved him from loosing his arm.

[ETXBow]

I think those stories are a bit extreme, I would love to see links to news stories.

There IS a bacteria in the gulf waters that can make you very ill and can lead to amputations and death if not treated promptly. It is all over the gulf, not just in Texas. In fact, most of the reports of it have been in Louisiana this year.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=9163809

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Flesh-eating-bacteria-in-Gulf-kills-1-sickens-4648669.php

http://www.businessinsider.com/flesh-eating-bacteria-in-gulf-of-mexico-2013-7

The person who died after being splashed while fishing was an 83 year old guy from Houma, LA.

You pretty much have to have an open wound, swim in the bacteria, then not clean the area in order for infection to set in.

Don't which person you are talking about, but the lady I met Wednesday burried her husband near Pasedena this Monday.

[SaltwaterSlick]

A guy I know and used to fish with was fishing off the north jetty/Galveston at the boat cut. He slipped and scraped his ankle on some barnacles. Didn't think anything about it... that night his ankle started burning like fire. His wife put some ointment on it. Next morning, he went to the emergency room, and they took him to surgery right away after a quick blood test. He woke up that afternoon with his leg gone from the knee down... This all happened in less than 48 hours. They told him if he hadn't gotten to the hospital when he did, he'd have likely died within another 24 hours.... This was probably 15 years ago... It does seem it's been around a LONG time, but it also seems to be more common now-a-days... I now wade in early spring and late fall/winter only... I understand the bacteria can only exist in water that is pretty warm and better in stagnant or low oxygen water... The Bolivar pocket has been famous for this stuff for years. Ain't no way I'd wade there now. Used to be one of my favorite places to wade fish...

[ETXBow]

I fished the pocket all last summer with my son along. Not anymore!

Slick, I think I'll go to your schedule.

[Kdub]

I carry bleach and peroxide in my boat and use it on cuts and scratches . I've always heard that the bacteria is more prevalent in the back bays where the water flow is very weak. I too have heard that folks with comprimised immune systems are more likely to get it than others. It pays to be careful these days for sure.

[Chuy]

I carry bleach and peroxide in my boat and use it on cuts and scratches . I've always heard that the bacteria is more prevalent in the back bays where the water flow is very weak. I too have heard that folks with comprimised immune systems are more likely to get it than others. It pays to be careful these days for sure.

I have heard that those dont work.hypocleanse us supposed to be the key. I dunno. Wondering if there is any truth to this. I would think bleach would kill anything

[Javelin]

Vibrio has always been in the water. All these, "I heard so and so that knows so and so...." stories are rumors and speculation. Like most things, people blow it way out of proportion. Bottom line is wash after being in the water and if you have open wounds, spray them with anti- bacterial solution after exposure. If you're an old fart or have a compromised immune system, consider your options.

I take it you have never had it. Take it from a healthy 30 yr old with zero health issues that has not been in salt water in 5 years and got it. that guy ME. This stuff is NOTHING TO LAUGH AT. it is bad news, cost me multiple doctor visits and very near a lengthy stay in the hospital. it can get out of control in hours, not days. mine was on my back and to this day have no clue how I got it, but it was sho nuff painful and scary