FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Bacteria that lives in saltwater infected seven people in southwest Florida, including two who later died.
Lee County health officials say a Florida resident in his 50s died last month after going into the Gulf of Mexico with an open wound. A tourist who was over 60 years old died in July, also from Vibrio vulnificus.
Health department director Dr. Judith Hartner told the News-Press of Fort Myers that Lee County typically sees about five cases of the bacteria a year. She says most cases are not serious.
Five others were infected with less-dangerous Vibrio varieties.
An 84-year-old woman had her leg amputated at a Naples hospital after becoming infected with the bacteria. But officials say it’s unclear whether she became infected in southwest Florida or the Tampa area.
Source: The Associated Press
