Publisher’s note: This is the first of the two stories about the summer survivor in Côteière Louisiana. Next week, protection.
This is called “Vibrio”, which covers up to 12 types of bacteria in our waters and on the things we take from our waters.
The infection it causes is called “vibriosis”.
No man knows the vibriosis better than Richard Empso and Cornell Arceneaux.
Both are survivors. Some infected by one of the 12 of this group of bacteria did not do so.
The two have stories to tell, stories that they hope to prevent fishermen and beach the pain they have endured and will save the agony of an even worse fate for their families.
It was in 2016, Empso was wading Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, on vacation and fishing with her family. It was summer and hot coastal water – water temperatures greater than 70 degrees – is started for one of the killers of this bacteria – Vibrio vulnificus, eaten flesh -eating bacteria.
Two months later, in August, Empson attended Sunday Mass at St. Thomas More at Baton Rouge. Each hand tightened a rod on foot. He needed both.
What happened?
“Got Vibrio,” he said. “In the hospital (at Mississippi), I was told:” Your leg or your life “. I chose life.
Empso said he thought Vibrio Vulnificus had attacked his right leg on the fifth day of fishing.
“My grandson caught every day like me, but his immune system was to be stronger than mine,” said Empso.
He started to feel symptoms that night. They made their luggage the next day and he said that he thought he could go to Baton Rouge for treatment.
“We left about 11 years (AM) and I told my grandson to find a nearby hospital. I couldn’t go home. We arrived in the emergency room of Bay St. Louis, and when they discovered that we were at the beach, they called a surgeon and they immediately transferred me to intensive care. ”
He said that a doctor had watched his leg, saw blisters formed and told him that he had a two -hour window “… to receive medication to counter what was going on. Otherwise, they should amputate the leg. He told me that I had 20% chance that the medication works, and I told him to take the leg, that I could learn to walk.”
Weeks in the hospital and more weeks of rehabilitation in red baton left him two rods. Now, he needs it to move, to do court work and fishing – “I only fish from the bank. I always have a boat, but I haven’t been there for years. I always want to fish.
“The only thing I can’t understand is that I didn’t have a scratch on my leg, and the staff (from the hospital) believes that he entered my pores.”
Arceneaux, a fisherman without die, is a victim three times, twice cuts while handling shrimp and crabs, and once after eating raw oysters.
The external variety, the vulificus, is much more virulent than vibrio gastroenteritis, the strain of raw crustaceans, although Cerceneaux speaks of a lawyer he knew who ate an oyster poboy and died 24 hours later.
The Arceneaux Council is to be careful when purchasing live bait.
“Living bait tanks in the marina are a petri box for Staph, Strep and Vibrio,” said Arceneaux. “The handling of contaminated motorcycle shrimp is the way I got Vibrio the first time.
“The second time I managed five dozen crabs to entertain friends. I kept the crabs in a crab call (a basket overwhelmed in the water next to his camp) and I made a scratch on my arm.
Although an empson photo is easy on the eyes and easy to show the almost building effects of this vibrio virulent strain, images of the arm of Arceneaux opening – a surgeon removed all the dead fabric – is horrible. Even the image of the scars ranging from hand to shoulder is not for delicates.
“It was 36 hours at the general red stick for the next one. To survive, I’m lucky twice, very lucky,” he said.
While Coolaal Water is Vibrio’s usual point of contact, Empso said that his Baton Rouge support group has a member who lost a leg after getting Vibrio de False River.
The CDC says …
American disease control and prevention centers have pages devoted to Vibrio.
Among its key points, there is that the variety of vibrio bacteria “naturally live in coastal waters”, that you can obtain a vibriosis after swallowing the bacteria or obtaining it in a wound, that the number of bacteria is higher in coastal waters from May to October and, if you suspect an infection, to request medical care immediately.
The agency estimates that around 80,000 cases of vibriosis occur each year in our country, and 52,000 cases come from the consumption of contaminated food.
Current gastric signs / symptoms are aqueous diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills.
The signs of infection in the blood circulation include fever, chills and two indicators for empson, dangerously low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions.
And, for the infection of wounds, signs / symptoms are fever, redness, pain, swelling, heat, skin discoloration, liquid leakage and other complications.
In addition, the CDC warns against pre -existing conditions, complications such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, thalassemia; Take medication to reduce gastric acid levels; And, recent stomach surgery.
Regarding Vibrio vulnificus, the CDC warning is clear: “Many infected people can become seriously sick and need intensive care or amputation of members. About 1 in 5 people suffering from this infection, sometimes in a day or two to become sick. ”
Arceneaux said that he continued to fish and enjoy the oysters, the latter that when the coastal temperatures of the water descend below 70 degrees.
He said that he was carrying enough disinfectant for the hands, a mixture of whitewater with chlorine and antibacterial soap during his fishing trips to immediately treat the scratches. Perforation injuries need more attention.
The message of Arceneaux is clear: “In 11 days, I underwent three surgeries and I had two IVs treating me with four different antibiotics.
“You cannot solve this problem yourself. If you think you have a problem with Vibrio, go to hospital emergencies immediately. ”
