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 Charlie Horner, 75, of Mechanicsville, was fishing on July 18 in the
Rappahannock River about 130 miles south of Washington when a cut on
his leg became infected with vibrio vulnificus, a deadly river
bacteria, the Richmond Times-Dispatch said.
Doctors tried to stop the rapid spread of the disease by amputating
Horner's leg but he died on July 22, the report said.
Michelle Stoll, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Health,
confirmed the death was caused by vibrio vulnificus.
Horner's was the first vibrio vulnificus death of 2015 in Virginia.
There have been 17 cases this year in the state, five from wound
infections, Stoll said.
Infections from vibrio vulnificus are fatal about 50 percent of the
time, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. There are normally about 95 U.S. cases each year,
according to the CDC.
In a 2009 study, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation found that an
increase in infections in area waters was linked to pollution and
unusually hot summers.
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The bacteria can enter the bloodstream through open wounds or cuts.
It occurs in brackish and salt water during the warmer months,
peaking in July and August.
The disease causes severe illness characterized by fever and chills,
septic shock and lesions. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.
(Reporting by John Clarke; Editing by Ian Simpson)
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