Be VERY careful !
 

Officials have several reports out on KLFY, KATC, and Louisiana Sportsman about the amount of bacteria in the waters right now. They are actually recommending staying out of the water at alot of beaches. So no surf fishing.
It even applies to us that are fishing in boats.
They said the biggest threat are if you have an open cut or get poked by a fish and the bacteria gets in your system. One man got stuck by a fish and got the infection. Two different antibiotics couldn't kill it and they had to cut off part of his thumb.
A good idea, if you do go fishing, would be to bring several types of antiseptics in the boat if you do get stuck. Rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, etc. They say clean it thoroughly immediately if you get water in an open cut or stuck by a fish. Be careful out there guys.........Have a safe July 4th weekend

Great heads up. We always think it can't/ won't happen to us. You never can be too safe out there!!!!

My trawling buddies swear by green alcohol. After they pic the shrimp they wash their hands with green alcohol. None of them ever got an infection.

Is there a store name of it and where do u get that?

I always wash hands and wipe any cuts down with alcohol. Thanks for heads up . I was in water at Little Florida yesterday evening for 3 hours.

Caught some fish?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How's the water?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The advisory has Holly Beach 1 and Holly Beach 2 sites with no advisory. Holly Beach 3-6 has advisories. Does anyone know or have a map of the 6 numbered sections of Holly Beach? I'm wondering if it starts from west to east, which would sort of make sense that the water would be cleaner at the most western sections. Gulf Breeze and Little Florida are OK.

The green alcohol is wintergreen .. I think you can get it at Walmart and Walgreens etc.

Peroxide and Povidone Iodine are the best. Bleach works to kill most of it but can cause some unneeded tissue damage. Any indication of infection get to doc fast and tell them you've been in saltwater and for them to look for flesh eating bacteria. This way they'll look for the really bad stuff.

Most of the runoff just increases things like e coli amounts in the water. It can increase the occurrence of flesh eating bacteria (Vibrio species). Fish and shrimp and anything that lives in the water is always going to have bacteria living on it anyway. Any poke from a fish or shrimp could result in an infection at any time (may or may not be flesh eating bacteria). There is reduced chance in colder months, the bacteria counts increase during warmer months and seem to be exacerbated by runoff due to organic and chemical loads in the run off. Also, while the counts are higher after rain and heavy runoff, the water always has bacteria and single cell organisms. I guess what I'm saying is... it's always there, we fish in it everyday without alarm, and don't let it stop you from going fishing. Just be smart about it, keep the above items on your boat and know what the signs / symptoms of flesh eating bacteria are.

I wouldn't go in the water with an open wound though (same even if it's scabbed over). And or if you have a weakened immune system be extra careful. Those with diabetes, compromised immune system, or reduced liver function are the most at risks.

Like I said, just be smart about it. Go fishing.
t

Stuff been around for 1000 years

Only social media blows it up to a stupid level

10 million people in the water everyday on the gulf coast from crabbers , shrimpers , fisherman , and beach goers ..

One person or two get flesh eating bacteria and world ending

After washing use betadine (10%) on cuts or punctures. Very little pain. Get medical attention as soon as possible.

Agree

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

I come down once a year and before the week is over I cannot hardly close my hands without extreme pain. I don't know if you guys are tougher or you just get used to it but I can't imagine having cut up hands like that all year long. I have learned to literally soak my hands in peroxide at night when it gets bad, put antibiotic ointment over entire hands and pull plastic gloves over. Makes me feel like a sissy but hands feel much better the next day.

Yep. Good advice here.

That used to happen to me. But as the years have gone on, I've improved my handling of bait and fish so I almost never get those cuts any more.

At some point you should learn where all the pokey parts are and learn to avoid touching them.

Actually, I'm getting better and more careful. Now if I can only learn not to pull that braid so tight when re-tying in the heat of the moment. Nothing hurts like braid going thru your flesh!

Thanks for bringing up the braid issue. I often have to remind passengers in my boat to keep their fingers out of the braid when the bull reds are making a run.

When surf fishing, I also wrap my trigger finger in duct tape when casting with spinning reels. Without the tape, the braid can really chew up one's index finger as the day goes on.

w
 

2x

Great information above; our sport is growing and everyday there are new fisherman that haven't had the learning opt's. that we have had. I thought this was probably the most educational post I've seen about it. From a recent case where a guide contracted it.

It's from another board. (http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/sh...1954745&page=9) . There is a lot of good information in the post. I'm putting it here for education as he did as well. The best policy is to educate ourselves and take swift action on any infection and make demands if need be. But don't let it stop you from fishing.

This from ElPaescadorCat.....
To Whom It May Concern,
On the night of June 12th, Dave Kveton's right foot started hurting at about 9:00 pm. It felt like a sunburn on the top of his foot. He put some lotion on it and went to bed. At 4:00 am Monday morning (June 13th,) Dave woke up with fever and chills. His foot hurt so badly, he could not put any pressure on it. Yet, it still looked like a minor sunburn. We went to the ER at ******** Hospital where Dave was seen by two ER doctors. They were changing shifts. Dave made the doctors aware of what he was experiencing, and told them that he may have been exposed to Vibrio. As a fishing guide since 1983, he is very familiar with the symptoms. He has personally known people that have contracted the virus.

Dave had been wade fishing in Port O'Connor for three days--Friday, June 10th, Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June 12th. There is a lot of runoff water at this time, but he did not wade into any stagnant water. The ER doctors were not familiar with Vibrio, and thought Dave had cellulitis caused from either a staph or strep bacterial infection. Knowing where he had been and that with Vibrio time is not your friend, Dave requested to be admitted and treated by IV antibiotics. The ER doctors called the hospital doctor, the hospital doctor for the ******** area. He agreed to admit Dave into the hospital and started a wide range of antibiotics to cover multiple possibilities until they could get a blood culture back. In the few hours it took to get that plan figured out and agreed upon, Dave’s foot swelled and red streaks appeared going up his leg. The hospital called in a infectious disease doctor,.

The ID doctor came in on Tuesday, June 14th and assured us that Dave did not have Vibrio. The blood culture came back the next day and confirmed that Dave did indeed have Vibrio in his bloodstream. By then, the swelling and redness was on his foot, heel, ankle and calf with a red streak going up to his groin. They started him on antibiotics for Vibrio. I tried to have the doctors consult with a hospital that was familiar with treating Vibrio. My thinking was they could tell us what to expect and what protocol has been the most effective. There was no one to call. I tried calling the Victoria Hospital and the Port Lavaca Hospital and they would not give me the name of a doctor that had treated Vibrio in their hospitals. They informed me that it was against their policy, but they were familiar with Vibrio and how serious it is. I called the Texas Department of Public Health, only to be put on hold for over an hour. I found a story online that had been published in the Victoria Newspaper and called the reporter to find out who she was able to reach. She shared a number with me for the Epidemiologist of Calhoun County. He did not have anyone the doctors from ***** could consult with. Dave was sent home to recover on June 17th at 8:30 with a prescription for two oral antibiotics.

Dave stayed in bed all weekend, and his foot was not improving. We did decide to elevate his foot on our own, which was not instructions given by any doctor in ********. We found out later elevation was a good choice. Dave made a call to a friend who had been treated in Victoria for Vibrio, and was able to get a referral for a doctor in Victoria. On Monday, June 20th we drove to Victoria to Dr. Brian Burns’ office. He looked at Dave's foot and had him admitted and put back on IV antibiotics. We felt very comfortable hearing him explain things to us. He had the knowledge to treat the problem. They started their protocol of antibiotics and it was apparent that it was starting to make his foot better. He was released on Thursday, June 23rd to go home on oral antibiotics. He was instructed to stay in bed with his foot up except to go to the bathroom once a day.

As of today, June 25th, he is doing much better and is following the doctor’s orders. I am putting this together in hopes that it can help with information compiled and shared with the medical community and the public. In my own research of the infection, I’ve found there is a lot of misinformation being given. Additionally, news broadcast interviewing health experts are giving out that same misinformation and ultimately I feel putting the public health at risk.

You have to have an open wound to contract the virus. False. Dave did not have a visible open wound. The only thing he could think of was a fly bite he got on Saturday, June 11th while drifting at bird island in Port O'Connor. We also get small cuts from shell in socks etc. that may not be visible. And I've personally known boat fisherman that have contracted it through a shrimp or fish spine in the live well / boat (not wading).

You have to have a compromised immune system, be a diabetic or alcoholic. False. These conditions will make it tougher to fight and it could be easier to contract, but they are not prerequisites. Dave, as well as two other people we know of, checked out perfectly healthy with no compromising conditions.

It is found in stagnant water. False. People are getting it in the surf.
We also feel that there could be a map of areas along our Texas coast that have confirmed cases of Vibrio, plus a list of systems with factual information on when to seek medical attention.

And finally, a stern warning that if you think you may have contracted Vibrio, you are not in a wait-and-see situation. Time is not your friend. We’ve all seen the headlines. Amputation or death are not uncommon.

Thank you for your time concerning this very serious matter.
Vibrio Vulnificus resources
DeTar Healthcare System: Home
Dr. Brian F. Burns
http://www.drburns.com
601 E San Antonio, Ste 302W
Victoria, TX 77901
361-676-1827

Matthew T. Janzow, MD
Dr. Michael Belew
John E. Barber, M.D.
SCHNEIDER , BRIAN , D.O.
506 E San Antonio
Victoria , TX 77901
Phone: (361) 788-6455
Fax: (361) 788-6655

http://dshs.texas.gov/plc/
Commissioner of Health, John Hellerstedt, MD (512-776-7363)
www.dshs.state.tx.us/.../contact_list.shtm

Adrana DSHS Region 8
210-859-1541
Adriawna.massone@dshs.state.tx.us
Miquel.Cervantes@dshs.state.tx.us

Linda Gaul, Ph.D., M.PH
512-776-7198
Department of State. State Epidemiologist

[QUOTE="W";799848]Stuff been around for 1000 years

Only social media blows it up to a stupid level

10 million people in the water everyday on the gulf coast from crabbers , shrimpers , fisherman , and beach goers ..

One person or two get flesh eating bacteria and world ending[/QU

I think it's more than one or two cowboy.