GALVESTON, Texas – If you’re planning a trip to the beach, this is something worth keeping on your radar.
Louisiana health officials are warning about a spike in Vibrio vulnificus — a rare but dangerous bacteria found in Gulf waters sometimes referred to as “flesh-eating” bacteria. Louisiana has confirmed nine cases this year. All nine people were hospitalized, and five of them died.
That raises an important question for those heading to Galveston — should local beachgoers be worried?
Alyson Miller, a Katy resident who was out on the island Wednesday taking in the waves and the view, says the news gave her pause — but not enough to keep her away.
“I didn’t really think of it,” Miller said. “I hear about it on the news, but then you come to the beach and it’s just so beautiful.”
Still, she says a close call might change things. “If I cut my leg or something, I may not come to the beach,” she said.
Others like Nicole Bowen say they tend to avoid the water altogether out of caution, while some rely on family members in the medical field to keep them informed.
“My sister’s a doctor, so she keeps an eye on that stuff,” Bowen said. “Usually, it’s just in the back of my mind and I take all the safety precautions.”
Dr. Philip Keiser, local health authority for Galveston County, says the area sees about 10 cases of Vibrio vulnificus on average each year. So far this year, there have been five cases and two hospitalizations — both of which have since resulted in full recoveries. Both infections were linked to pre-existing wounds that were exposed to beach water.
Keiser says the bacteria can cause serious harm — and certain people are at greater risk than others.
“It can get into wounds and cause severe infections of people’s limbs, and it can spread all over the body,” Keiser said. “The other way people can get it is from eating raw oysters. Any type of chronic liver disease, people who have any other type of immunosuppression — we’re seeing a lot of that lately — would put you at higher risk.”
As for why Louisiana is seeing a surge while Galveston’s numbers remain lower, Keiser was unsure but said there was one possible explanation.
“Part of its luck,” Keiser said. “The bacteria grows better when it’s hot, and the water reaches a certain temperature. It also needs a certain level of salinity to grow well. If you have lots of rain in the area and that runoff is coming into your area, it gets to a sort of sweet spot — and then the bacteria grows.”
There is a way to monitor conditions before heading to the beach. Keiser recommends checking the Beach Watch program — a federally funded resource that tracks bacteria levels.
“You can go look along the beach to see whether there’s basically fecal material in the waters,” Keiser said. “That primarily comes from runoff from the fields — mostly from cows. You can check and say, ‘Oh, this beach has a lot of fecal matter, this one doesn’t.’”
For beachgoers who weren’t aware of the resource, the information was a welcome discovery.
“Definitely, I would check the website,” said Maria Acuna.
The bottom line — Galveston’s numbers remain within the typical range for this time of year. But with Gulf water temperatures rising and Louisiana seeing an unusual spike, local health officials say awareness and precaution are always the best approach.