Pensacola mom Shares Harrowing Vibrio Infection Experience, Calls for Increased water Safety Measures
PENSACOLA, Fla. – A Pensacola woman is speaking out after a near-fatal battle with Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria often referred to as “flesh-eating” due to its potential to cause severe tissue damage.Genevieve Gallagher contracted the infection after swimming in Santa Rosa Sound in late July and is now advocating for increased testing and public awareness regarding the bacteria.
This year, seven cases of Vibrio vulnificus have been confirmed in Florida Panhandle waters, with three originating in Escambia County. Gallagher says she was unaware of the risks before entering the water.
“If I would have heard of vibrio, yes, I would have been like, ‘I’m not getting in that water at all,'” Gallagher stated.
After a seemingly normal swim with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, Gallagher was rushed into surgery less than a week later with a confirmed Vibrio infection. She spent approximately six days intubated. “I woke up and saw that I had a leg that didn’t even look like my own leg anymore,” Gallagher recounted, describing the extensive tissue removal required to combat the infection.
currently, Escambia County does not conduct routine testing for Vibrio in its waters. Environmental specialist Sava Varazo believes this should change, citing the availability of a “quick, reliable” and “high reliability” litmus test that can deliver results in under 40 minutes.However, Escambia County’s senior scientist, Chips Kirschenfeld, notes that even with testing, mitigation is tough. “If we were to test for vibrio, we would find vibrio in every sample that we tested,” Kirschenfeld said. ”The problem is there’s really nothing we can do as far as best management practices or any kind of upland treatment to reduce those numbers.”
Kirschenfeld also pointed to the relatively low infection rate compared to beach attendance: “Here in the Escambia County, we have an average of five infections per year. We have a million people that go to Pensacola Beach every year and five people get infections. That’s 0.0005% chance of getting a vibrio infection.” He characterized the decision to implement routine testing versus increased public education as a “political decision.”
Gallagher strongly believes increased public awareness is crucial. “There needs to be signs out there stating there is flesh-eating bacteria to be known to be in this water, or they need to have those signs and they need to have testing done during the summertime saying levels are high, levels are low, whatever,” she urged.
Gallagher has undergone multiple surgeries at hospitals across the state as she continues to fight the infection. Her family has established a GoFundMe page to help cover the mounting medical expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/f/genevieves-fight-against-vibrio.
