Photo: GoFundMeA Michigan man who flew into Florida to help his friend with repairs and clear debris following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and died.James Hewitt, 56,had scraped his leg after falling off his friend’s boat into a canal, his fiancee Leah Delano told theWashington Post.Hewitt had called Delano after the incident telling her that he had felt unwell.Delano said Hewitt’s leg had become swollen and he had contracted a fever the next day. After he was hospitalized, doctors determined that he needed to be moved to the intensive care unit due tosepsis, which is when the body reacts to an infection in an extreme and life-threatening way. Hewitt died two days later.Doctors told Delano that Hewitt had contracted vibrio, a type offlesh-eating bacteriathat can be found in warm sea waters with temperatures over 55 degrees, often in coastal states like Texas, California and Florida.TheFlorida Department of Healthissued a warning to residents on Oct. 3 that Hurricane Ian flood waters could contain diseases like vibrio. As of Oct. 28, the health department hastallied 66 cases of Vibrio, almost double last year’s number, and 13 deaths.“I never want to say ‘don’t help’ because, goodness knows, those people need help, but there’s so many people that are going down there, and they have no idea of the dangers that exist after a disaster.” Delano told theWashington Post.There are about80,000 casesof vibrio infections a year, and those with immunocompromised systems or liver disease are more likely to have adverse effects from contracting vibrio if they have any open wounds.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Doctors say that people should be aware of the initial signs of contracting vibrio including feeling feverish or dizzy, or noticing that the wound is reddening and spreading.
Photo: GoFundMe
A Michigan man who flew into Florida to help his friend with repairs and clear debris following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and died.James Hewitt, 56,had scraped his leg after falling off his friend’s boat into a canal, his fiancee Leah Delano told theWashington Post.Hewitt had called Delano after the incident telling her that he had felt unwell.Delano said Hewitt’s leg had become swollen and he had contracted a fever the next day. After he was hospitalized, doctors determined that he needed to be moved to the intensive care unit due tosepsis, which is when the body reacts to an infection in an extreme and life-threatening way. Hewitt died two days later.Doctors told Delano that Hewitt had contracted vibrio, a type offlesh-eating bacteriathat can be found in warm sea waters with temperatures over 55 degrees, often in coastal states like Texas, California and Florida.TheFlorida Department of Healthissued a warning to residents on Oct. 3 that Hurricane Ian flood waters could contain diseases like vibrio. As of Oct. 28, the health department hastallied 66 cases of Vibrio, almost double last year’s number, and 13 deaths.“I never want to say ‘don’t help’ because, goodness knows, those people need help, but there’s so many people that are going down there, and they have no idea of the dangers that exist after a disaster.” Delano told theWashington Post.There are about80,000 casesof vibrio infections a year, and those with immunocompromised systems or liver disease are more likely to have adverse effects from contracting vibrio if they have any open wounds.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Doctors say that people should be aware of the initial signs of contracting vibrio including feeling feverish or dizzy, or noticing that the wound is reddening and spreading.
A Michigan man who flew into Florida to help his friend with repairs and clear debris following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian contracted a flesh-eating bacteria and died.
James Hewitt, 56,had scraped his leg after falling off his friend’s boat into a canal, his fiancee Leah Delano told theWashington Post.Hewitt had called Delano after the incident telling her that he had felt unwell.
Delano said Hewitt’s leg had become swollen and he had contracted a fever the next day. After he was hospitalized, doctors determined that he needed to be moved to the intensive care unit due tosepsis, which is when the body reacts to an infection in an extreme and life-threatening way. Hewitt died two days later.
Doctors told Delano that Hewitt had contracted vibrio, a type offlesh-eating bacteriathat can be found in warm sea waters with temperatures over 55 degrees, often in coastal states like Texas, California and Florida.
TheFlorida Department of Healthissued a warning to residents on Oct. 3 that Hurricane Ian flood waters could contain diseases like vibrio. As of Oct. 28, the health department hastallied 66 cases of Vibrio, almost double last year’s number, and 13 deaths.
“I never want to say ‘don’t help’ because, goodness knows, those people need help, but there’s so many people that are going down there, and they have no idea of the dangers that exist after a disaster.” Delano told theWashington Post.
There are about80,000 casesof vibrio infections a year, and those with immunocompromised systems or liver disease are more likely to have adverse effects from contracting vibrio if they have any open wounds.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Doctors say that people should be aware of the initial signs of contracting vibrio including feeling feverish or dizzy, or noticing that the wound is reddening and spreading.
source: people.com
