It's that time of year again. The flesh eating microbes are back. The brother of one of my co-workers got it last week. So far they've amputated his left leg, below the knee. He's still in the hospital and trying to combat it. Pray that he wins the battle since he's not near out of the woods yet.

Y'all be careful. Carry bleach and hydrogen peroxide on the boat and treat every wound, even minor ones.

Great advice.
That's a shame.
Will be praying for him for sure.

I've never heard of that what is it.

For all the gory details you should Google it.

It's a bacteria/virus that lives in saltwater. It becomes more prominent when water temps get above 85 degrees or so. It get's into the body through open cuts, sores, wounds. People with Diabetes and other weakened immune systems are especially at risk.

Wash any open wounds with bleach and/or hydrogen peroxide to help prevent it.

Thanks man i'll google it.

Guess I'll pass on the raw oysters too when we go July 16 and again in mid-August..

And wear waders and/or gloves if you wade. even a mosquito bite can provide an opening for this extremely aggressive flesh eating bacteria.

It's gonna be a little hard to convince the wife and kids to wear waders to play in the surf. Sounds like a very, very serious virus though so we will take every precaution to wash any open wounds with peroxide.

In the surf you are usually pretty safe, it's primarily found in the back bays, shallow very warm muddy areas and around oyster beds in areas as described. Oysters and crabs carry it and during this time of the year it's not a good idea to eat any uncooked or not WELL cooked from any of the bays.

All individuals who consume foods contaminated with this organism are susceptible to gastroenteritis. Individuals with diabetes, cirrhosis, or leukemia, or those who take immunosuppressive drugs or steroids are particularly susceptible to primary septicemia. These individuals should be strongly advised not to consume raw or inadequately cooked seafood, as should AIDS / ARC patients.

Sporadic cases continue to occur all year, increasing in frequency during the warmer months.

And we all know how warm it is right now.....

The waters in the surf/open gulf are constantly moving, refreshing and usually much cooler than shallow, back lake bay waters with little refreshing.

Thanks LandPirate Im stove up with a huge @#%$ sore right now I received Saturday (slipped down @ Packery) now Il have nightmares.

All kidding aside thanks for posting this as folks tend to forget or have never heard of it. I hope things quickly improve for your buddy's illness. Keep us informed.

Here's a good write up about it from a shark fishing doctor. Vibrio isnt the only thing to worry about. graphic images warning..........

http://www.sharksonthesand.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=588&hilit=vibrio

I was thinking vibiro in a recent post about water temps and salinity. Really did'nt want to go there. Seems we did'nt hear much about it last summer. Definitely changes the way I think when I'm out there.
My prayers for your co-worker and family.
Get well soon Hooligan!

Hey thanks Sputter, Im fine immediately dosed it with peroxide just milking it to get out of doing my chores around the house.

I was thinking, where was this virus when we were kids. I dont recall it ever being discussed. My mother would have yanked me outta Aransas Bay faster than you could slap a tick im sure. I dont remember anyone making a fuss over cuts and scrapes. I wondering if this Virus is around due to the increased septic systems from all thye residential areas that have since sprung up since the 70's

Yeah, I'm thinkin' this is information the wife does'nt need to know. I'd never get a moments peace!
I've got a trout that driftwood artist Dale Bunting did back in the late 80's. Vibro took him in '09 I believe. He did really nice work back in the 80's, when the quality of wood was better. Some of his later work suffered due to poor selection of wood.