Beach-goers feeling a little jumpy about dipping their toes into shark-rich waters along the US coast this summer should be aware of much smaller dangers dwelling in the sea, marine biologists have warned. We all know about the deadly sting of a jellyfish or the flesh-tearing teeth of Jaws but people should also be on red alert for dangerous bacteria.
These are threats you can't see - some of which eat the body from the inside out. They lurk at microscopic level in oceans, rivers, lakes and in sand.
When one enters the body, usually through an open cut or by accidentally being swallowed, the effects can be extreme. Nausea and diarrhea if you are lucky and lethal sepsis, amputation, coma and death in the worst cases.
A warming climate means the threat of these nasties is now spreading across the country. Traditionally they were contained in swamps and river states in the Southeast and Gulf of Mexico.
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But over the past few years deadly, flesh-devouring bacteria, such as vibrio vulnificus, have been detected at beaches up and down the Eastern seaboard. Staphylococcus aureus is another surviving for longer periods and expanding its range.
So before you next walk barefoot on the sand without covering that small scratch you might want to read the Mirror's helpful guide to water-dwelling killers below.
The flesh eater spreading up the East Coast
V. vulnificus: Not only is it difficult to pronounce but this pathogen causes necrotizing fasciitis – just about the worst flesh-rotting disease you could encounter.
People with open wounds should be especially careful before a paddle. It thrives in warm sea waters and in the mixture of fresh and saltwater found where rivers and oceans meet.
The bacteria doesn't waste time once it gets in your blood. Attacking the cells, it produces toxins that break down proteins, leading to the obliteration of skin and muscle.
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Eleven people fell sick with the bacteria in three East Coast states last summer. Five died. There were also seven infections in North Carolina, two in Connecticut, and two more in New York.
South Carolinian Brent Norman, stepped on contaminated sea shell at the beach that resulted in severe foot swelling. A doctor later confirmed he had contracted V. vulnificus from contact with the water.
He said the pain was as if someone had driven a nail through his foot.
You can also catch Vibriosis, the infection that results from exposure to the bacteria, by eating raw or undercooked shellfish. This infection does not rot the flesh, but it can cause potentially fatal sepsis.
About 80,000 cases are diagnosed in the US each year, more than half the result of eating contaminated seafood, reports the Mail.
Deadly bacteria dwelling along the Boardwalk
More flesh-rotting dangers are posed by Group A streptococcal (GAS). There are more than 120 strains of GAS that cause infections.
The bacteria thrives in warm, humid conditions. David Ireland, 50, of Orlando, Florida died five years ago after contracting necrotizing fasciitis caused by GAS . Doctors removed 25 percent of his skin in an effort to stop the disease but to no avail.
The source may have been a pool in his condo development. Strep A is dwells happily in a person's throat and on the skin, and rarely causes any problems. The danger is when it spreads through coughing and sneezing.
GAS can cause potentially deadly effects when it enters the blood via a break in the skin. Particles can linger on pool railings, and on snack bar counters along beach boardwalks.
Backyard beach bug that's resistant to drugs
Staphylococcus aureus lives harmlessly on the skin and in people’s nasal passages. But its genetically distinct cousin, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is responsible for all sorts of difficult-to-treat infections.
In the worst cases it can cause flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis. The bacteria invades the layer of tissue below the skin after gaining access through an open wound.
The bug then makes enzymes to evade the body’s immune response. It drops toxin bombs as it goes, prompting a massive inflammatory retaliation. This only makes it stronger and more flesh-hungry.
It thrives in natural bodies of water that have been contaminated with human waste. Beaches near wastewater treatment plants a particular haven.
It also enjoys poorly chlorinated pools and hot tubs and in warm, freshwater lakes and rivers. It has been detected in the Great Lakes and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans near cities.
Researchers found MRSA on beaches in Washington state and on Catalina Island off the coast of southern California and in Florida.
In 2017, a three-year-old boy in Texas developed an infection after spending the day on a lake with family. Thankfully, doctors were able to treat him with antibiotics.
Dirty pathogen that lurks in pools
Enterococcus leads to severe health problems. The bacteria does not cause necrotizing fasciitis, but it still causes an infection in the lining of heart valves - endocarditis - and blood infections.
Swallowing infected water or contact with an open wound allows it to enter the body. It lurks in all types of rivers, lakes, oceans, swimming pools and hot tubs.
Sewage systems, runoff from farms or animal fecal matter in the water are the prime causes. Enterococcus has been discovered on beaches from Palm Beach in Florida to Malibu in California and Oahu in Hawaii .
Many strains of the disease have evolved and can evade the medications, making it difficult to treat. It can lead to urinary tract infections affecting the bladder and other organs and meningitis leading to inflammation in the membranes surrounding the brain, and gum infections.
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