Feds Fund Rapid Reponse Study; Reports Of Flesh Eating Bacteria Blamed For Multiple Deaths In Gulf

This is another strange, terrible twist in the Gulf Disaster. Oil induced changes to phytoplankton and their associated bacterial communities are related to Vibrios abundance The bacteria has claimed the lives of at least 6 people in the Gulf, The exposure of the twelve year old Jon was as little as walking barefoot in the water!

Vibrios bacteria can be spread through seafood contact, food preparation.

Some bacteria in the Gulf of Mexico love eating oil as much as they like infecting humans. … One of the more pressing questions involves Vibrio… vulnificus… this year there is a likely possibility, scientists say, that Vibrio growth could be further spurred, directly or indirectly, in response to the oil and the organic flotsam it has left behind.

www.wdsu.com...

Six Die From Deadly Flesh Eating Bacteria www.khou.com...

In fact, the National Science Foundation awarded a rapid response grant to research this very topic, From the NSF website on June 21, 2010:

How are the oysters faring with the oil spill? The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a rapid response grant to scientists Crystal Johnson, Gary King and Ed Laws of Louisiana State University (LSU) to find out.

The researchers will look at how the abundance and virulence of naturally-occurring bacteria called Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, often found in oyster beds, may change in response to the spill.

The findings will provide insights into vibrios’ ability to “consume” oil, and will allow the biologists to uncover antibiotic compounds in certain species of phytoplankton that live in association with vibrios.

“Adaptation to the spilled oil may result in an increase in some types of vibrios,” says Johnson. “We believe that vibrios will change in response to the stress of direct exposure to oil and/or to indirect effects of interactions with other species affected by oil.”

Vibrios… may even help break down the components of the oil.

“Little is known about how microbes–in the water, along coasts, and associated with other species–are affected by the spill,” says Phillip Taylor, acting director of NSF’s Ocean Sciences Division.

“Through this NSF rapid response grant, these scientists will be able to track the oil’s effects on marine species living in the Gulf, and by extension, the possible threat to human health.” …

“Oil-induced changes in phytoplankton community composition and their associated bacterial communities are related to changes in vibrio abundance,” he says. Some species of phytoplankton in Louisiana and Mississippi coastal waters may excrete antibiotics that inhibit the growth of vibrios, according to Laws.

Jim Oliver, a Vibrio specialist at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte:

“They are coastal bacteria … so [they] could well increase either as a direct result of oil degradation or as a side effect of the added nutrient levels.”

The ingredients are there for heightened concern, Oliver added. The carcasses of bacteria feeding off the oil will increase overall nutrient levels as sweltering summer temperatures hit their peak. While there are natural controls, like bacterial viruses and protozoa, that can check Vibrio growth, those can be overwhelmed, studies have shown. … “I think that combination could lead to very serious public health concerns,” Oliver said. …

Doug Bartlett, a microbiologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography:

“If the oil is killing all these marine animals and if the marine animals are highly compromised, would they be more likely to succumb to infectious disease?… I honestly don’t know what is going to happen with regard to the oil spill… It’s very likely in the heavily impacted areas to have a strong influence on the composition of microbial communities. But gosh, I just don’t have a good sense of where that all is going to go. … The lesson from that is that under high nutrient conditions, it may be that the Vibrio numbers would go up.”

One of the more pressing questions involves Vibrios, which, until the oil spill, were one of the primary threats to the region's vital shellfish business. While parahaemolyticus rarely causes serious disease, another Vibrio species, vulnificus, kills dozens of Americans each year, largely through seafood contamination. The disease, only recently discovered, has caused fierce debate between health officials and local Gulf politicians over raw oysters, the primary carriers of the disease.

Since Vibrio populations swell in the summer -- they love the heat -- this year there is a likely possibility, scientists say, that Vibrio growth could be further spurred, directly or indirectly, in response to the oil and the organic flotsam it has left behind.

"The question is: Will there be an inadvertent enhancement of the growth of these potential human pathogens?" said Rita Colwell, former director of the National Science Foundation and an expert in marine microbial life. "It's a question, and the answer is uncertain."

www.nytimes.com...

i thought flesh eating virus was a fake thing or soemthing not real im kinda not happy to be proved wrong on this one its kinda scary if that stuffs in the water......

reply to post by KilrathiLG


Its not fake, I researched the links before posting. I think this is absolutely crazy, they have just reopened all of the fishing East Of the Mississippi. Fisherman have caught loads of oil soaked crabs. This bacteria can be spread through seafood preparation. You dont have to go into the water to be infected!
How can this be happening?

im getting so fed up with this crap when i was young i never heard about new disease like this or anything it just seems like there poping up out of nowhere

reply to post by burntheships


Our Team member Ali Schmidt originally broke this story on the flesh eating bacterial deaths on the Test The Rain site. This all ties into what she was saying with Dr Riki Ott that you can read in a couple other articles located on the site......

Death In The Gulf

By Ali schmidt
September 26, 2010

On June 17, 2010 The headlines from the New York Times read: “Will Bacterial Plague Follow Crude Oil Spill Along Gulf Coast?” At the time they were concerned about the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium that causes food poisoning in many each year.. Vibrio Parahaemolyticus has a thirst for crude and thrives in the warm waters of the gulf. However, another Vibrio species, vulnificus, kills dozens of Americans each year, usually through seafood contamination. Microbiologists were uncertain which bacteria, feeding off the oil,were already growing exponentially in the Gulf – New York Times

Flash forward to local news reports across the Gulf;

Kenner Boy Dies Of Rare Bacterial Infection – WDSU News

“2nd Death Caused By Flesh Eating Bateria This Month” – KHOU News and another, “Six Die From Deadly Saltwater Bacteria! ” - West Orlando News

So what is Vibrio vulnificus? A few facts: Vibrio vulnificus is a gram negative proteobacteria found in marine and estuarine environments. Primarily isolated from sea water, and shellfish (oysters in particular) located in the Gulf Of Mexico, the Atlantic Coast and the U.S. West Coast. The bacterium thrives in warm seawater and is part of a group of Vibrio’s that are “moderate halophiles” meaning they require salt for growth.

Vibrio vulnificus is a proteobacteria and a pathogen of humans . It causes wound infections, gastroenteritis, or primary septicemia (blood poisoning). Vibrio vulnificus causes disease in individuals who eat contaminated seafood (raw or undercooked oysters or have an open wound that is exposed to seawater.

You can read more of this article and the other articles associated with this bacterial topic at testtherain.com...

I'm going to have to cry foul on this one being directly related to the oil spill. I used to work at a hospital in LA long before the oil spill and saw this on a weekly basis. I even have a son-in-law who got it, last year.

Louisiana is a dank, moist place full of mold and other nasties. I saw people who got this from puncture wounds and sometimes spider bites, or MRSA that turned into flesh eating disease.

The oil spill was/is a bad thing, for many reasons, but this particular item is nothing new because of it.

reply to post by Blanca Rose


You might want to read the material posted. Even the Federal Scientific Agency is admitting that it is linked
to the oil induced state of the Gulf.

reply to post by burntheships


Ok, and? Your links say nothing in your opening post about this being oil spill related. They both say the bacteria can be picked up in salt water, and this happens every year.

As stated in my other post, I have seen these types of infections years before the oil spill.

Also, the first link you provided clearly states that the young boy had a weakened immune system. The other link stated that people ingested bad oysters.

reply to post by Blanca Rose


Here is the informaiton from the Scientific Institute, This is in the opening OP.

From the NSF website on June 21, 2010:

How are the oysters faring with the oil spill? The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a rapid response grant to scientists Crystal Johnson, Gary King and Ed Laws of Louisiana State University (LSU) to find out.

The researchers will look at how the abundance and virulence of naturally-occurring bacteria called Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, often found in oyster beds, may change in response to the spill.

The findings will provide insights into vibrios’ ability to “consume” oil, and will allow the biologists to uncover antibiotic compounds in certain species of phytoplankton that live in association with vibrios.

“Adaptation to the spilled oil may result in an increase in some types of vibrios,” says Johnson. “We believe that vibrios will change in response to the stress of direct exposure to oil and/or to indirect effects of interactions with other species affected by oil.”

Vibrios… may even help break down the components of the oil.

“Little is known about how microbes–in the water, along coasts, and associated with other species–are affected by the spill,” says Phillip Taylor, acting director of NSF’s Ocean Sciences Division.

“Through this NSF rapid response grant, these scientists will be able to track the oil’s effects on marine species living in the Gulf, and by extension, the possible threat to human health.” …

www.nsf.gov...

reply to post by Blanca Rose


God I love ATS,

Blanc,

No one is stating that the gulf spill has caused the Vibrio bacteria to surface. We all know that Vibrio vulnificus exist in the gulf along with many other strains. But Vibrio vulnificus flesh eating type is rare. What we are saying and what scientist have feared is that this bacterial could ramp up due to the amount of oil / chemicals / bio-engineered microbes in the gulf.

There are over 100 documented strains of Vibrio and possibly 1000's unknown. What will be the effect of all of this toxic bacterial / chemical mixing in the gulf? Thats the question. In the meantime we are seeing sometype of chemical or bacterial health issue along the gulf and even as far inland as Ohio as reported in a comment to Dr Riki Ott's article.

My question is how many reports of the Vibrio vulnificus is not being reported by the DOH to the media/public? If the family does not come forward and the DOH withholds this information from the public.......Hipaa laws will retain the information in the hospital.

Knowing how all of this has played out so far and all the health issues being reported.........I have no doubt that the DOH / Gov will keep this information under wraps.

Read the New York Times article.