A scanning electron microscopic image of a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images, courtesy Centers for Disease Control / colorized by James Gathany)
The death of a Long Island resident has been linked to a bacteria found in raw shellfish or seawater that has also been blamed for two deaths in Connecticut, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria was identified in a Suffolk County resident who died recently, Hochul said.
“While rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous,” Hochul said in a news release.
Precautions for avoiding the potentially deadly bacteria include protecting open wounds from seawater and, for those with compromised immune systems, forgoing raw or undercooked shellfish, she said.
The death in Suffolk County is being investigated to determine if the bacteria was encountered in New York waters or elsewhere, the governor said, adding that health care providers should consider Vibrio vulnificus when seeing patients with severe wound infections or sepsis.
Health officials say anyone can get vibriosis, the illness caused by the bacteria, but those with liver disease, cancer or a weakened immune system, or people taking medicine to decrease stomach acid levels may be more susceptible to infection or more likely to develop complications.
The two people who died in Connecticut were among three in the state known to have been infected with the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria this year, Connecticut heath officials said. All were between the ages of 60 and 80, the officials said.
Communications systems in the Gaza Strip were down for a second day with no fuel to power the internet and phone networks, causing aid agencies to halt cross-border deliveries of humanitarian supplies even as they warned people may soon face starvation.
Nearly nine out of 10 parents believe their child is performing at grade level despite standardized tests showing far fewer students are on track, according to a poll released Wednesday by Gallup and the nonprofit Learning Heroes.
An Iowa teen convicted in the 2021 beating death of a high school Spanish teacher was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with a possibility of parole in 25 years.
There were still deep differences on economic competition and global security threats. But Biden said they agreed to “pick up the phone” and talk if urgent issues arise. Biden said “that's important progress."
Israel has threatened to expand operations in the south, where hundreds of thousands of people who heeded earlier evacuation orders are crowded into U.N.-run shelters and family homes.
Eight Las Vegas teenagers ranging from 13 to 17 years old have been arrested and will be charged with murder for the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr.
