Texas Man Bitten by Shark Fighting Flesh-Eating Bacteria Related to the Attack
OutdoorHub Reporters 08.24.18
A man was bitten by a shark while swimming off the coast of Crystal Beach in Texas earlier this month, and as if that’s not bad enough, he’s now back in the hospital fighting flesh-eating bacteria.
According to USA Today, Blaine Shelton confirmed that he’s being treated for a flesh-eating bacteria related to the shark bite, but it’s likely not the shark was the carrier.
“I’d heard there was bacteria in the water, I just never treated it serious. But to tell you the truth, if you’ve got a scratch on your arm or your leg, I wouldn’t get in that water,” Shelton told us. “And if you do, bring some alcohol with you to clean it the second you get out. It’s nothing to play with.”
Shelton hasn’t elaborated on exactly what type of flesh-eating bacteria he’s been treated for, however, another Texas man died after contracting a species of the Vibrio bacteria.
Vibrio is known to be found in coastal waters where oysters live and cause an estimated 80,000 illnesses and at least 100 deaths in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
