There has been a fatal vibrion infection in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the responsible state office, it is the first such death this bathing season. As the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (Lagus) announced on Tuesday, it was a 74-year-old vacationer who had bathed in the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September and died as a result of the illness. The deceased therefore had open wounds and was chronically ill.
The state office pointed out that the risk of illness mainly exists for people with certain risks – such as chronic underlying diseases and immune deficiency. Older people are also at risk. Bathers who belong to these risk groups and have skin injuries should avoid contact with sea or brackish water.
Lagus pointed out the first vibrio infection of the current bathing season at the end of August – an 86-year-old who had to be treated in a hospital. She also had chronic illnesses and an open wound. According to Lagus, vibrios have been detected at various checkpoints from the west to the east coast in MV.
According to previous information, a total of ten vibrio infections were reported in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2022, and six cases in 2021.
Vibrios are bacteria, some species of which can cause illness in humans. The most well-known pathogen is probably the cholera pathogen. The Vibrio vulnificus germs found in the salt water of the Baltic Sea multiply rapidly at water temperatures of more than 20 degrees and can infect wounds. Symptoms of infection include chills, diarrhea, fever, and blistering rash.
Sources: State Office for Health and Social Affairs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, dpa
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