Vibrio!

Unfortunately I'm not posting a fishing report, but rather an ALERT/HEADS UP to you guys that have been or will be fishing in the near future. Despite the great day I had on the water this past Saturday taking home our 5 man limit of redfish, the cuts and scrapes on my hands took home a bad bacteria. Most of us experience small cuts and minor scrapes during our fishing trips, yet fail to think about keeping them clean while on the boat or once at our homes. I learned the hard way as yesterday I was admitted into the hospital with two very infected fingers. Each of the infected areas were places where scrapes, hook pricks, or minor scratches existed. The doctors and infectious disease specialist seem to believe it's Vibrio infection. With recent record high temperatures and more to come in the future, Vibrio has a great chance of making it's way around through warm saltwater, raw fish, sea-living creatures, crabs, etc. This has to be one of the most painful infections I have ever had. Be cautious and if you cut or scrape yourself, make sure to keep it clean! Good luck fishing!

Capt. Travis Lovell
www.reelingoodcharters.com
985.856.8167

i got it while trapping nutria last year, the doc put my on 1000MG of cipro, knocked it out in about a week then all the skin peels off your hand and it itches like CRAZY!! oh yea, if you get cipro make sure you eat with it, or you will wish you never took it, i was dry heaving, it will make you puke.

I've been in your shoes, it's very painful. I now carry a bleach/water solution in my boat and clean my hands numerous times a day when I get scratches and scrapes from fish. Of course the best protection is to wear gloves which nobody does. I came close to losing my fingers and consider myself lucky. Aug and Sept are the worst months so be careful. Get well quick Capt Travis .

I read an article in La Sportsman on this some time ago they may should put it back in. Certainly something to consider. I guess I should take my just grab it glove out of the boat and wash it I almost never use it and it has been just sitting in the boat getting mildewed. I have been fishing and shrimping since I was about 10 and must have been just lucky to have never been through this before. I hope you recover quickly.

That sucks, glad you caught it early. One of my good friends got that stuff on his ankle back in 2008. Major surgery, he almost lost the foot and part of a leg. Hyperbaric chamber at WJGH for weeks. He didn't work for over a year, and sold his boat. That stuff wrecked his life.

Hope the doc's recommended you remove the ring...just in case!

My wife's grandpa had a catfish gaf him in the hand . He waited till he could'nt stand it then when to the hospital , almost lost his hand .
A good friend of mine got gaffed by a hard head in the knee , multiple trips to hospital and ALOT of anitbiotics he came close to being in alot of trouble . Missed about about 2 weeks of work .
That stuff is nothing to play around with .

Thanks guys! It was definitely an eye opener to what I need to do to prevent having this again. Luckily I caught it very early. Within 2 hours of the initial pain, it had swollen to the point of not being able to close my hand or move the finger. I knew I had to get it checked out immediately! It's a very fast moving infection! The other area is on my right thumb and was not nearly as bad as what the left middle finger was. My doctors are very pleased with the results of the IV antibiotics and it looks like I have a good shot at leaving tomorrow. I sure hope so!

Had a crab get me on the tip og my finger . It swoll up to the size of a golf ball. Thank god i went to the doctor. He called it a marine bacteria infection. I now keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide hand sanitizer and a first aid kit in my boat. I suggest anyone who owns a boat invest in those things. They may save a finger toe hand or foot. Hope you feel better capt. i know how bad that stuff hurts.

I have always carried hydrogen peroxide on my boat but Capt. Bill told me the doctors told him bleach is the most effective remedy. Hopefully this is helpful info. Hope you get out tomorrow Travis.

Hey capt. Ricky. Do you dilute the bleach with some water or just pour it straight on the cut?

why wouldnt 70% rubbing alcohol or dr. tichnors or one of the jellied alcohol hand sanityzers work ?

Guys I don't know how relative this is, but I work in the oil industry and bacteria can be a big problem when it comes to fracturing. Guar is a polysaccharide that is used in fracturing and bacteria loves the stuff. So nearly all waters are treated with biocides. I can say that I've tested a number of different biocides and nothing comes close to killing the bacteria as bleach. There are others that work slowly and work well for longterm bacteria control. But as far as killing bacteria immediately, I can't think of anything that works faster than bleach.

How long after the trip did it take for the infection to set in?

He said it was within a few hours. My friend that got it was in bad shape less than 24 hours. Vibrio lives in warm brackish water, especially where it is stagnant, like at a boat ramp. It can get into any puncture/scratch in the skin. It is especially bad for people with diabetes or other situations where the immune system is compromised.

A bleach and water mixture of 50/50 is good.

Google vibrio images, you will be shocked at what this stuff can do.

Well guys, the antibiotics really went to work on my infection! It cleared my fingers enough to be released from the hospital with an additional two weeks of oral antibiotics and follow-up visits to the doctor. The infection actually didn't reveal itself until approximately 36 hours of the cuts and scrapes taking place on the fishing trip. When I woke up I found myself in a cold sweat, slightly high temperature, nauseated, and my fingers had a throbbing/burning sensation similar to a catfish sting or worse. Although swelling had not started and the finger looked normal, the pain at this time was enough to bring tears out! Within 2 hours, it had become very swollen, feverish, and turned a dark red color. This is when knew I had to be checked out immediately. As I mentioned, it was a very fast growing infection. Luckily I was smart enough to get it checked out and catch it in it's early stage. It's great to be out of the hospital! Thanks to everyone for your interest in this post! Hopefully this helps someone avoid what several of us have experienced. Not a fun thing!

Guys, My Father-in-law lost his best friend this past weekend due to the Vibrio. I won't go into details to respect his privacy. He had a heart as big as his smile and will definateely be missed. It was contracted (a week or two prior)in the Grand Isle area and he was at his camp when it hit hard. He was brought to the local hospital and they did not know what it was. He was sent to another in N.O. and they realized what it was and hit him hard with anti-biotics, but it was too late. My f-i-l carries a mixture of bleach and peroxide in his boat and I will start to do the same. I fell out of my boat last year in PAC and put my hand down to catch myself and hit oysters. Two deep cuts and I was not even worried about my drowned cell phone. Dug out my 99% alchohol sanitzer and put half a bottle on the cuts. Please be careful out there and keep the mans family in your prayers. Thanks

Sorry to hear that news. It's a VERY serious thing. Hope everyone reads this post and understands how important it is to keep our bodies clean while fishing! His family will be in our prayers!

Glad you made it ok Capt. And sorry to hear about the loss to the Grand Isle gentleman...prayers sent.

Gunna mix a few bottles of bleach and water tonight to put in the boat this weekend.

Im glad to hear your out and recovering. Thank goodness you went to the hospital and did not wait, you definately did the right thing. This is very serious as yall know and is not to be taken lightly. Get well Capt Travis, see you on the water.

You did a pretty good job of typing with that fat finger!!!