Health Alert: Prevent Waterborne Infections
Water and wounds are not your friends. Standing water from Hurricane Milton is contaminated and prime for bacteria. That means a higher risk of a small open wound escalating to a life-threatening infection. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can thrive in places where you have salt water meeting fresh water.
Take the following precautions:
- Avoid wading through or touching standing water
- If you are immunocompromised, wear proper foot protection to avoid cuts or injuries
- Immediately wash and clean all wounds
- Seek quick medical care if wounds show signs of infections
- Avoid eating or drinking anything that has touched floodwaters
- Use hand sanitizer before touching your face or putting anything in your mouth
- Wash utensils in clean water with soap before using
- Add two teaspoons of bleach per gallon of clean water to disinfect for washing dishes or for cleaning surfaces
- Do not swim in the Gulf until water quality has improved
“Even the dust that is airborne from all of the cleaning and sweeping can have bacteria,” cautions Bret Kueber, M.D., Boca Grande Health Clinic Assistant Medical Director. “It’s a good idea to wear N95 masks if you are out and about on the island, especially during cleanup efforts.”
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