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Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
‘Flesh-eating' bacteria cases increasing in Florida and other parts of US southeast — what to watch for
Cases of 'flesh-eating' bacteria are increasing along the southeastern coasts of the United States, with multiple deaths reported this year. At least five people in Florida, four in Louisiana, and one in North Carolina's Outer Banks have died from infections that can cause necrotizing wounds. Florida has recorded 16 cases so far this year. Louisiana has reported 17 cases, more than its annual average in past years. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to NBC News that the state has seen seven cases so far. Mississippi has seen three cases so far this year. In Florida, early deaths linked to the infection were reported in counties spread across the coastline, including Bay County in the Panhandle, Hillsborough County on the Gulf Coast, Broward County in Southeastern Florida, and St. Johns County just south of Jacksonville. What is 'flesh-eating' bacteria? The infections are caused by Vibrio bacteria, which naturally live in certain coastal waters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Vibrio numbers are higher from May through October, when water temperatures are warmer. Coastal waters include both salt water and brackish water, a mix of salt water, and fresh water often found where rivers meet the ocean. The CDC says about a dozen species of Vibrio can cause a human illness called vibriosis. In the United States, the most common are Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio alginolyticus. Vibrio vulnificus is the most dangerous. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection die. Why infections are up Antarpreet Jutla, an engineering professor at the University of Florida, told NBC News that infections are still rare but 'something is off this year.' He explained that Vibrio vulnificus infections tend to increase after hurricanes. Last year, Florida recorded a total of 82 cases, which Jutla said may have been made worse by an 'extremely active' hurricane season. The bacteria can linger in hurricane floodwaters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Thursday that this year's hurricane season is still expected to be above normal as the U.S. enters its peak period. How people get infected and symptoms to watch out for The CDC says most people get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. Some get infected when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters. Symptoms of a Vibrio infection can vary depending on how it affects the body. Digestive tract infections may cause watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Bloodstream infections can lead to fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions. Wound infections may cause fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, skin discoloration, and fluid discharge. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
New York Post
05-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
How to protect yourself against flesh-eating bacteria — as deadly infection sweeps 5 states
Let this sink in — a dangerous, salt-obsessed bacterium is wreaking havoc along the Gulf Coast. Several dozen cases of Vibrio vulnificus and nine deaths have been reported so far this year across Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. The rod-shaped bacterium lurks in warm, brackish waters — it can enter your body when you consume raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or expose an open wound to seawater. Advertisement 5 Beware swimming in open water if you have an open wound. Vibrio vulnificus could infect you. astrosystem – 'Vibrio has the potential to cause severe infections, including invasive soft tissue infections (sometimes called 'necrotizing fasciitis' or 'flesh-eating bacteria') and bloodstream infections,' Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, told The Post. Here's what you need to know about this rare but potentially deadly infection. What is Vibrio vulnificus? Advertisement Vibrio vulnificus was initially reported in medical literature in 1976, though it's believed to date back to ancient times. It's part of the broader Vibrio genus of bacteria that live in coastal waters. 5 Vibrio vulnificus is a rod-shaped bacterium that lurks in warm, brackish waters. Giovanni Cancemi – This group includes Vibrio cholerae, the pathogen that causes the diarrheal disease cholera, which is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Advertisement 'There are more than 200 recognized species of marine (saltwater) Vibrios, but only a few species cause significant public health problems, particularly foodborne illness, skin infections and wound infections,' a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told The Post. For its part, Vibrio vulnificus needs salt to survive, which is why it occupies warm seawater, especially brackish environments, where freshwater and saltwater mix. 'It thrives in warm water, so cases tend to peak during the summer and are more common in the southern US around the Gulf Coast,' Handel said. Where have cases been reported? Advertisement The Florida Department of Health has logged 13 cases with four deaths as of July 24. There were 82 cases and 19 deaths last year, up from 46 cases and 11 deaths in 2023. 5 Cases, which tend to peak in the summer, are more common along the Gulf Coast. kittyfly – The agency noted an 'unusual increase' in infections in some parts of Florida last year because of Hurricane Helene, which struck the state in September 2024. Louisiana authorities have confirmed 17 cases, including four deaths, as of July 30. They noted that the state typically records seven cases and a death each year and blamed the uptick on 'increasing water temperatures and extreme weather events.' About 75% of the cases are from wound exposure to seawater. Advertisement North Carolina has recorded 59 Vibrio cases and one death this year as of July 31. The data includes illnesses from the vulnificus and cholera strains, as well as other Vibrio infections. The Mississippi State Department of Health told The Post it has confirmed 13 Vibrio reports so far this year, down from 50 last year. No one died from Vibrio in 2024 or 2025. Seafood consumption seems to be a common culprit. The state's data includes cases from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which tends to cause watery diarrhea. Alabama reported 18 cases of vibriosis this year through late last month, according to local media, which said there were 54 cases in 2024. What are the symptoms? Advertisement Vibrio vulnificus symptoms depend on the type of infection. Exposing an open cut to contaminated water can cause a high fever, intense pain, swelling and redness at the wound site. 'The symptoms from skin infections can progress very quickly,' Handel said. 5 Vibrio vulnificus can also enter your body when you consume raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Ilja – A soft tissue infection can lead to skin breakdown, ulcers and fluid-filled blisters. Significant tissue damage can occur in severe cases. Advertisement People who have eaten contaminated shellfish could experience severe vomiting and diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration. Stomach pain, fever and chills might follow. Once in the bloodstream, Vibrio vulnificus can cause rapid and serious illness. A bloodstream infection can spur a fever, chills, dizziness, confusion, dangerously low blood pressure, a fast heart rate and blistering skin lesions. Advertisement The Florida Department of Health reports that infections that hit the bloodstream are fatal about half the time. The risk of life-threatening complications is higher for people who are older or immunocompromised, particularly if they have chronic liver disease. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission. 5 About 75% of the Louisiana cases are from wound exposure to seawater. LoloStock – How is Vibrio vulnificus treated? Vibrio vulnificus is diagnosed by testing blood, wound fluid or stool samples. Antibiotics are administered immediately. In aggressive cases, amputation of affected limbs may be needed to remove infected or dead tissue. What can you do to protect yourself from infection? Handel recommends steering clear of open bodies of water, like the ocean, rivers and estuaries, if you have cuts or scrapes. 'To prevent Vibrio food poisoning, avoid eating raw shellfish, especially if you are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease,' he added. 'If you do eat shellfish, make sure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.'
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tracking Medicaid patients' work status may prove difficult for states
A construction worker sprays water on his face during a break in maintenance work along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. States and the District of Columbia that expanded Medicaid must begin verifying millions of enrollees' monthly work status by the end of next year — a task some critics say states will have a hard time carrying out. (Photo by) States must begin verifying millions of Medicaid enrollees' monthly work status by the end of next year — a task some critics say states will have a hard time carrying out. A provision in the tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law July 4 will require the 40 states plus Washington, D.C., that have expanded Medicaid to check paperwork at least twice a year to ensure those enrollees are volunteering or working at least 80 hours a month or attending school at least half time. The new law provides states $200 million for fiscal year 2026 to get their systems up and running. But some experts say states will have difficulty meeting the deadline with that funding and worry enrollees might lose their health benefits as a result. A year and a half to comply is likely not going to be enough time for most states, especially since the federal government must craft guidance on how they should implement their programs, said Dr. Benjamin Sommers, a health economist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He predicted it will be difficult to create technology simple enough — such as a phone app — to streamline the process for all enrollees. 'Two hundred million [dollars] is not going to cover the 40 expansion states that we have,' he told Stateline. 'There is not a silver bullet here, and there isn't a single app out there that's going to keep people who should be in Medicaid from losing coverage. That's just not realistic.' Medicaid cuts could be devastating for the Delta and the rest of rural America A spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Hannah Jones, told Stateline that 'it will take a significant amount of time and investment in order to implement work requirements.' Jones said an estimated 255,000 people in North Carolina could lose coverage because of these requirements and their 'administrative burden.' 'More automation reduces manual work on beneficiaries and eligibility case workers, but it requires more time, funding, and staff resources to implement,' Jones wrote in an email. Emma Herrock, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health, wrote in an email that the vast majority of the state's Medicaid enrollees already work, and the agency expects few people to be disenrolled. Herrock said the department will establish work verification systems by the end of 2026. 'The department is taking a thoughtful approach to implementation,' Herrock wrote. 'We are already working with several Louisiana agencies … in order to receive data on recipients who are working.' She added that the department views work requirements 'as a means to grow our economy, while reinforcing the value of work and self-sufficiency.' In New York, it could cost the state $500 million to administer the new requirements, New York Department of Health spokesperson Danielle De Souza wrote in an email. Between 600,000 and 1.1 million individuals who are eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid could potentially lose coverage because of work reporting requirements, she wrote, based on what happened when states were required to resume checking eligibility after the COVID-19 health emergency ended. 'The department will remain steadfast in its commitment to protecting the health of all New Yorkers and will work to mitigate the impacts of this law,' De Souza wrote. The new rules apply to states that expanded Medicaid to adults between the ages of 19 and 64 with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty line (about $22,000 for an individual), an option that was made available under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. More than 20 million people were enrolled through Medicaid expansion as of June 2024 — those are the patients who will face work requirements. There isn't a single app out there that's going to keep people who should be in Medicaid from losing coverage. That's just not realistic. – Dr. Benjamin Sommers, health economist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Reapplying for Medicaid, which typically has been required once a year, already is burdensome for some patients, said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association. 'On top of that, now we're going to be challenging so many people who were at least able to deal with it financially with things like … proving that they got a job,' Mukkamala said in an interview. Previous attempts at implementing work requirements have ended up costing states millions in administrative and consulting fees. And in some cases, people who were eligible for Medicaid lost their coverage due to paperwork issues. Several states wanted to implement work requirements during the first Trump administration. But only Arkansas fully did so, in 2018, before a federal judge halted the requirements. More than 18,000 Arkansas residents lost Medicaid coverage during the 10 months the requirements were in effect. States push Medicaid work rules, but few programs help enrollees find jobs Sommers, of Harvard, noted that most people were disenrolled because they didn't know about the policy or made paperwork errors, not because they weren't working. 'Red tape led to people losing their coverage,' he said. 'They had more trouble affording their medications. They were putting off needed care.' Brian Blase, president of the Paragon Health Institute, a conservative policy group that advises congressional Republicans, said he thinks concerns about the new requirements are overblown because there's more advanced technology now. 'Lots of government programs have initial implementation challenges,' Blase told Stateline. 'Arkansas was seven years ago, and if you just think about the change in the technological advancements over the past seven years … we didn't have artificial intelligence and just the ability of modern tech.' As it stands, each state has varying technological capabilities, and will have a different timeline and budget, said Michael Heifetz, a managing director at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal and a former Medicaid director in Wisconsin. His team contracts with states to implement Medicaid, including work requirements, and other programs. He also noted that the Trump administration can give states a deadline extension on implementing work requirements to Dec. 31, 2028, if they show they are making a 'good faith effort.' States will need to share data across agencies in new ways, he said. 'It will require some form of data sharing and communications with educational agencies, workforce training agencies and some other agencies that typically aren't in the Medicaid ecosystem,' Heifetz said. State governments may resist hiring full-time positions for those tasks, he said, but 'artificial intelligence and other tools can help work through these processes in a smoother fashion.' Efforts in other states to implement work requirements have had mixed results. In Georgia, for example, an experimental work requirement program cost taxpayers more than $86 million in its first 18 months but enrolled just 6,500 people during that time, according to an investigation by ProPublica and The Current published in February. That's 75% fewer participants than the state had estimated for the program's first year. States that enshrined Medicaid expansion in their constitutions could be in a bind The nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2019 looked at five states that tested systems to track Medicaid work requirements under the first Trump administration. Those demonstration projects were rescinded during the Biden administration. The states estimated their projected administrative costs for implementing work requirements for one to three years, and the total far surpassed the $200 million Congress has provided in the new law. Kentucky alone estimated $270 million, Wisconsin $70 million, Indiana $35 million, Arkansas $26 million and New Hampshire $6 million. Susan Barnidge, an assistant director on the GAO health care team and an author of the report, said the agency found that across states there wasn't much federal oversight of administrative costs on test programs. Oversight will be key as states roll out their work requirement systems, she said. 'We found some weaknesses in [federal] Centers for Medicare & Medicaid oversight of certain federal funding for certain administrative activities. So we found examples of things that states sought federal funding for that didn't appear to be allowable,' Barnidge said in an interview. 'I think that will remain relevant.' Mukkamala, of the American Medical Association, said the burden will in some ways fall to doctors' offices to help keep patients enrolled, as they work with patients to check eligibility and possibly help get them on Medicaid. He works in Flint, Michigan, as an otolaryngologist, or ear, nose and throat doctor, and said a third of his patients are on Medicaid. 'As if it's easy to take care of their health care issue, given things like prior authorization,' Mukkamala told Stateline. 'Now to add to the challenge, we have to figure out how to get them covered.' Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC's governor signs executive order establishing new advisory council on cannabis
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July. () Governor Josh Stein signed an executive order Wednesday establishing the new North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis. The Council will study and recommend options for a comprehensive statewide approach to cannabis that is grounded in public health and public safety considerations. Stein's order says the new council will learn from lessons in other states and experts and focus on the protection and safety of all North Carolinians, especially the state's youth. The council announced Wednesday includes 24 members and will be co-chaired by State Health Director Lawrence Greenblatt and Robeson County District attorney Matt Scott. Other who will serve on the board will be representatives from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety, the state Department of Justice, local law enforcement officials, as well as North Carolina farmers. Notably, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians would also have a seat at the table. The Eastern Band first approved the use of medicinal cannabis in 2021, launching recreational marijuana sales on its tribal land last year. In an interview with WRAL on Tuesday, Gov. Stein likened the current situation surrounding cannabis and THC products to the 'wild, wild West.' 'The idea that we have a system where this product, which is a drug that can get you high, is for sale out there without any restrictions on how it's sold to me is insane,' said Stein. Legislators have been grappling with whether to legalize medical marijuana for several sessions as well as how to address the growing number of vape stores that sell THC-infused products. Stein said he hopes the new council can bring Republicans and Democrats from both chambers together to work with health professionals and law enforcement to find common ground. What's clear, said the governor, is that the unregulated marketplace is not working. 'Just go into a vape shop, ask the clerk what product will get me the most high and they will give you something. And it would get you high if you were to take it. So that's not acceptable,' Stein said. 'So, if we don't accept the status quo, what do we want the reality to actually be?' According to the governor's office the rate of emergency department visits in North Carolina for intoxicating cannabis ingestion among children and youth ages 17 and under has increased more than 600 percent in recent years, and among older teens, the rate has increased more than 1,000 percent. Senator Bill Rabon, a cancer survivor and the primary sponsor of the Compassionate Care Act, has been a leading voice for medical marijuana legislation. He is one of four legislators asked to serve on the advisory council. Rabon (R-Brunswick) told his colleagues last year that there was very little difference between products like Delta 9 and marijuana and the state would be wise to craft its own regulatory framework. Legislation to regulate hemp-derive consumables and medicinal marijuana passed the NC Senate last June, only to languish in the House. The new Council will consider public health considerations, potential marijuana prescriptions for certain conditions, as well as what regulatory guardrails are needed regarding potency and purity standards. Another consideration would be the possibility of expunging past convictions that do not align with the recommendations of the Council, including for simple possession of marijuana. According to Pew Research, nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) believe that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. USA Today, citing the group DISA Global Solutions, reported in April that North Carolina is one of a tiny minority of just six states in which marijuana is fully illegal for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July submitting preliminary recommendations for a comprehensive cannabis policy to the Stein by March 15, 2026. In the meantime, the governor said he would like the General Assembly to prohibit the sales of products that contain intoxicating THC to anyone under 21 by requiring photo ID age-verification, while requiring packaging that lets adults know what is actually in the cannabis products they may be buying. Read Stein's Executive Order below: EO16-Cannabis-Advisory-Council
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stein creates cannabis advisory council to regulate state's THC market
Gov. Josh Stein announced on Tuesday the creation of a State Advisory Council on Cannabis, calling for urgent action to regulate North Carolina's unregulated THC market, which he said poses serious risks to young people. ALSO READ: Texas considers banning products infused with THC derived from hemp, and retailers are worried Stein said there's currently no legal age restriction for purchasing THC products in the state and warned that kids can easily buy them at vape shops. The new council will study best practices from other states and recommend a comprehensive plan for safe, legal adult-use cannabis sales, including one that also protects children, supports public health and agriculture, and addresses past low-level convictions. 'Today all across North Carolina, there are unregulated intoxicating THC products available for purchase: just walk into any vape shop,' Stein said in a news release. 'There is no legal minimum age to purchase these products! That means that kids are buying them. Without any enforceable labeling requirements, adults are using them recreationally without knowing what is in them or how much THC there is. Our state's unregulated cannabis market is the wild west and is crying for order. Let's get this right and create a safe, legal market for adults that protects kids.' At 5 p.m. on Channel 9, we will breakdown this executive order. VIDEO: Illegal THC products found in North Carolina shops, authorities say Members of the State Advisory Council on Cannabis are: Co-chairs Lawrence H. Greenblatt, MD, State Health Director & Chief Medical Officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Matt Scott, District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 20 (Robeson County) Members David W. Alexander, Owner and President, Home Run Markets, LLC Arthur E. Apolinario, MD, MPH, FAAFP, 2002-2023 Past President, North Carolina Medical Society; Family Physician, Clinton Medical Clinic Joshua C. Batten, Assistant Director for Special Services, Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, North Carolina Department of Public Safety Representative John R. Bell, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 10 Carrie L. Brown, MD, MPH, DFAPA, Chief Psychiatrist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Mark M. Ezzell, Director, North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program, North Carolina Department of Transportation Anca E. Grozav, Chief Deputy Director, North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management Representative Zack A. Hawkins, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 31 Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander, North Carolina State Highway Patrol Michael Lamb, Police Chief, City of Asheville Police Department Peter H. Ledford, Deputy Secretary for Policy, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Kimberly McDonald, MD, MPH, Chronic Disease and Injury Section Chief, Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Patrick Oglesby, Attorney and Founder, Center for New Revenue Forrest G. Parker, CEO / General Manager, Qualla Enterprises LLC / Great Smoky Cannabis Company Senator Bill P. Rabon, North Carolina Senate, District 8 Lillie L. Rhodes, Legislative Counsel, Administrative Office of the Courts Gary H. Sikes, Owner, Bountiful Harvest Farm and Partner, Legacy Fiber Technologies Senator Kandie D. Smith, North Carolina Senate, District 5 Keith Stone, Sheriff, Nash County Joy Strickland, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Bureau of the North Carolina Department of Justice Deonte' L. Thomas, Chief, Wake County Public Defender Office Missy P. Welch, Director of Programming (Permits/Audit/Product Sections), Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
