Florida Teen, 17, Fights Vibrio Infection as Rare Bacteria Carries Up to 50% Mortality
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jun 15
Florida Teen, 17, Fights Vibrio Infection as Rare Bacteria Carries Up to 50% Mortality
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jun 15
Summary
Joziah Thompson, 17, is in a Pensacola children's hospital after contracting Vibrio vulnificus while swimming at a park in Niceville, Florida, with doctors trying to save his leg.
Two days after what seemed like a minor scratch, his leg became inflamed and painful; his mother said he is also being treated for a rapid heart rate and blood pressure problems.
Vibrio vulnificus is a rare bacteria found in warm, mildly salty coastal water and can cause severe soft-tissue damage, sepsis and, in some cases, amputation; the U.S. sees about 100 to 200 cases a year.
Nearly $12,000 has been raised on GoFundMe as his mother pauses her spa business to care for him, while also urging a public system to report local water bacteria levels.