It took only 28 hours for a Florida man to end up dead, after he contracted a flesh-eating bacteria that lives in warm sea water.
Henry Konietzky, 59, died after it is believed he was exposed to the deadly bacteria in the Halifax River on Saturday.
Konietzky was out setting crab traps in the river when he accidentally stepped on some ants, before getting into the water. It is believed that the open wound was created from the ant bites, according to news reports. He awoke next morning and observed what appeared to be an insect bite on his leg.
Konietzky was taken to the emergency room where multiple antibiotics were tried, but none worked. He died on Monday night, after the bacteria spread throughout his body, shutting down vital organs.
Two cases of the same illness that killed Konietzky have been brought to the attention of officials in Volusia and Flager counties in the last month, clickorlando.com reported.
To date in 2013, health officials said 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus have been reported in the state of Florida with nine deaths.
In 2010, the Florida Department of Health said, six deaths occurred from the deadly bacteria, which affects the body in two ways – either by exposure to contaminated seafood or through an open wound exposed to contaminated seawater.
Health officials are warning Floridians to avoid eating raw shell-fish such as oysters and exposing open wounds to seawater and estuarine water.
