Study: Tar balls found after BP oil spill teeming with 'flesh-eating' bacteria

[elehhhhna]

Study: Tar balls found after BP oil spill teeming with 'flesh-eating' bacteria

By Carol Christian | November 12, 2013 | Updated: November 12, 2013 10:01am



The number of people contracting the warm-water bacteria that can cause illnesses ranging from tummy upsets to potentially fatal skin lesions has increased in recent years, according to federal data.

Records kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of cases of Vibriosis nearly doubled between 2008 and 2012 - rising from 588 to 1,111.

Vibriosis includes "Vibrio vulnificus," the bacteria commonly dubbed "flesh-eating." It's rare but tends to be underreported, the CDC says on its website.

The CDC data on vibriosis includes all vibrio species except cholera, so it's unclear how much of the increase in the past five years is due to infection by the flesh-eating bacteria that can cause death.

One researcher who studies Vibrio vulnificus found it highly concentrated in tar balls that appeared along the Gulf Coast after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.


http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Study-Tar-balls-found-after-BP-oil-spill-teeming-4977264.php?cmpid=houtexhcat

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. the gift that keeps on giving..

Thanks, BP....

[arikara]

2. I thought they cleaned the Gulf up 2 weeks after they capped their gusher

so it can't be BP's fault.

[bvar22]

3. Oh...thats why BP and the Government was unconcerned about the Oil Spill.

The Flesh Eating Bacteria will clean it up for us!!!

YAY America!

[Dopers_Greed]

4. Hey guys...BP are helping the Gulf

They said so in a commercial

[hatrack]

6. Yes, I saw that commercial too!

Gosh, they just care so much about ecosystem health, and friendly fisher-folk and Gulf Coast motel owners.

They care so much it just makes my balls sweat.

[ReRe]

5. The Oil Spill...

... that keeps on killing.