Scientists sound alarm over flesh-eating bacteria expected to DOUBLE in next 20 years

University of East Anglia researchers in the UK said it is due global warming By the 2040s, the bacteria could be present in every US state on the East Coast Scientists have sounded the alarm over a flesh-eating bacteria which could be present in every US state on the East Coast within the next 20 years. The CDC estimates that 80,000 Americans are infected with vibrio every year, although there are only 1,200 to 2,000 confirmed cases annually as it is often misdiagnosed The deadly infections are caused by the V. vulnificus bacterium, referred to as a flesh-eating bacteria as skin infections can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, where the flesh surrounding a wound dies Some infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection where the flesh around a wound dies The toxic bacteria flourish in warm, salty and shallow water along the coast and respond to the smallest shifts in temperature. Graphs showing the number of people at risk based on various scenarios of global warming, as well as the number of kilometers of coastline where the bacteria could be found Projections of future spread of the bacteria if medium-to-high levels of greenhouse gas emissions occur Anyone can get the infection, but it can be worse for people with weakened immune systems — particularly those with chronic liver disease or who take medicine that reduces the body’s ability to fight off germs. They found that in Eastern US between 1988 and 2018, wound infections increased eightfold from 10 to 80 cases per year, and the bacteria shifted northwards 48km annually.