Health officials urging hurricane cleanup crews to take care

Cape man being treated for ‘flesh-eating’ bacterial infection after removing debris from flooded home

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

You may never know what lies below the surface -something that Cape Coral and Southwest Florida residents are unfortunately learning while cleaning up from Hurricane Ian

Cape resident Terry Brennen, 79, underwent his third surgery on Wednesday after contracting a “flesh-eating” bacterial disease attempting to clear debris from his home on Bayshore Drive He and his wife, Carlene, rode out the storm in their home adjacent Redfish Cove with beloved pets Carlene said high waters and a thick muck engulfed their house, leading to flooding and major damage

“I watched it come in,” Carlene said of the storm surge, the most destructive element of Hurricane Ian as it hit Lee County with winds just shy of a Category 5 storm “It came up over the seawall, a couple of feet above it, and came in flat no ripple, no wave It came in and hit the front of our house, hit the back It engulfed the front yard and the back yard. It came in with us standing there, up to our knees with us standing there ”

While a fit-for-his-age Terry was cleaning up the sludge and grime so they could walk up and down the driveway safely days later, he sustained small scratches and scrapes from moving debris The next day, his right leg began to swell The next day, even more so The next day, his leg was so swollen he couldn't walk That’s when Carlene’s pleads for him to go to the hospital were heard

“When he got in and got all of his labs done, he was admitted right away to the ICU,” Carlene said “It was diagnosed that he had a flesh-eating bacteria ”

Carlene said Terry’s doctor was familiar with the bacteria and that another person recently had their leg amputated due to the same circumstances

“The first couple of days we weren’t sure he was going to make it,” Carlene said “We were so scared ”

Terry had all of his skin on the right side of his leg removed, and doctors at Cape Coral Hospital had to cut out rotted flesh Carlene said they hope they can now start treating the bacteria with antibiotics Terry will have the open wound for four weeks, and will have skin graphs taken from his back to replace the skin on his leg

“Terry wanted to let people know that this stuff is so dangerous,” Carlene said, adding she also fell in the muck injuring her shoulder the other day “It’s everywhere We’re still pulling up everything we can salvage from waist-deep muck ”

Carlene believes every house on her street is a teardown She and Terry are now desperately looking for a rental, one they can stay in for at least a year

Meanwhile, she and her daughter are still in retrieval mode Every house along their circular drive has 10-foothigh piles of debris stacked in front

Lee Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Mary Beth Saunders said it’s important for people to understand that while standing water, for the most part, has receded, the same bacteria that was in that water can be on debris

“It’s still dangerous but we are still trying to get our stuff out,” she said

Lee Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr Mary Beth Saunders said it’s important for people to understand that while standing water, for the most part, has receded, the same bacteria that was in that water can be on debris

“If you have cuts and scrapes, that puts you at-risk for infections and infections with unusual organisms,” Saunders said

Saunders said it’s important for those moving debris to protect themselves with long sleeves, long pants, and gloves

If a puncture is sustained, Saunders said to wash the area immediately with soap and clean water

She advised those that are not up to date with their tetanus immunization should make sure they do so

Saunders said another aspect of storm aftermath residents should take heed of is the high-levels of mosquitos with the amount of standing water the area experienced

“We don’t see it often, but we can see some mosquitoborne illnesses,” Saunders said. “With what has been happening, I would be concerned that we may see a rise in some of those illnesses The county is not out spraying as they usually do They're still on rescue and recognizance ”

So, when is it time to see a doctor?

Saunders said when individuals notice an increase in redness or pain, or drainage from a wound, medical care should be sought Other symptoms could include experiencing fever, chills, or diarrhea

Saunders said Lee Health has seen an increase in the number of patients with storm-related clean up injuries, including infections

She said Lee Health is most commonly seeing the Vibrio illness

“We have seen an increase in the number of Vibrio infections,” she said “And it can be a very serious infection -especially for those who may be immune-compromised ”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio bacteria naturally live in certain coastal waters and are present in higher concentrations between May and October when water temperatures are warmer About a dozen Vibrio species can cause human illness, known as vibriosis

The CDC states that most people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Certain Vibrio species can also cause a skin infection when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and salt water It is often found where rivers meet the sea

The CDC continues to state that people with compromised immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease, are more likely to get vibriosis Eating raw seafood, particularly oysters, and exposing open wounds to salt water or brackish water can increase a person’s chance for getting vibriosis

The CDC estimates that vibriosis causes 80,000 illnesses each year in the United States About 52,000 of these illnesses are estimated to be the result of eating contaminated food

“Most people with a mild case of vibriosis recover after about three days with no lasting effects,” CDC officials stated However, people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation About one in five people with this type of infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill

Another rare “flesh-eating” bacterial infection that spreads quickly in the body is necrotizing fasciitis According to the CDC, it is a very serious illness that requires care in a hospital Antibiotics are typically the first line of defense, though sometimes they cannot reach all of the infected areas because the bacteria have killed too much tissue and reduced blood flow CDC officials said when this happens, doctors have to surgically remove the dead tissue Since necrotizing fasciitis can spread so rapidly, patients often must get surgery done very quickly It is not unusual for someone with necrotizing fasciitis to end up needing multiple surgeries In serious cases, the patient may need a blood transfusion

Symptoms include a red, warm, or swollen area of skin that spreads quickly, severe pain (including pain beyond the area of skin that is red), fever, blisters, changes in skin coloration, pus or oozing, dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea Saunders added that flu season is right around the corner, and with the influx of out-of-state individuals coming to help with hurricane recovery, it’s important to have the vaccine She said both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters can be admitted at the same time at a Lee Health facility or local pharmacy

“This is the time of year to get the flu vaccine,” Saunders said

Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad cj