Hurricane Idalia: Warnings as flesh-eating bacteria lurk in post-hurricane floodwaters
Hurricane Idalia may have passed, but a hidden threat lingers in its aftermath.
Florida health officials are warning Labor Day weekend beachgoers in affected areas to be cautious of floodwaters, which may carry Vibrio vulnificus, a rare and potentially lethal flesh-eating bacterium.
Florida’s Health Department emphasises the importance of treating this threat seriously, comparing it to respecting alligators and rattlesnakes.
The risk of Vibrio infections surged in coastal regions of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas due to Idalia’s storm surges mixing salty seawater with heavy rainfall, creating ideal conditions for the bacteria to thrive.
V vulnificus, among various Vibrio types, is the most dangerous and infects about 80,000 individuals in the US annually, resulting in approximately 100 deaths, with numbers rising after hurricanes.
The rare and potentially deadly type of flesh-eating bacterium “shouldn’t be taken lightly,” Florida Health Department press secretary Jae Williams told Sky News affiliate NBC News. “It needs to be treated with proper respect – the same way we respect alligators and rattlesnakes.”
Infections typically occur through skin cuts while wading through contaminated water, causing rapid tissue destruction.
Immediate medical attention and antibiotics are crucial, as Vibrio is among the fastest-growing bacteria. In severe cases, amputation may be necessary, and fatalities can occur within a day of exposure.
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Hurricane before and after images
Vibrio bacteria like to live in places where warm, salty seawater mixes with freshwater, like estuaries and inlets, and hurricanes can make these conditions happen.
During Hurricane Idalia, the storm surge pushed salty seawater onto land, and then it rained a lot.
“The rainwater, being freshwater, dilutes the seawater and brings the salinity down,” said James Oliver, a retired professor of microbiology at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. That mixture creates the perfect condition for the bacteria to thrive and spread.
Consuming raw oysters represents another infection route, as oysters filter water through their gills, potentially containing Vibrio.
A vehicle in a canal after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida
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Among various types of Vibrio, V vulnificus is the most harmful. These bacteria infect around 80,000 people in the United States each year, resulting in approximately 100 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Warmer waters have expanded the geographic reach and frequency of Vibrio cases, increasing the risk for people along the southeastern US coast, including states like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Cook your oysters and cover cuts and sores
To avoid contracting the infection, experts advise cooking oysters to destroy the bacteria. But for beachgoers, there is likely no way to avoid Vibrio.
“It is virtually guaranteed that if you wade into coastal waters this weekend, you will encounter such bacteria,” Mr Oliver said. “While that is a scary statement, it is important to understand that the risk for becoming sick from that encounter is extremely low for the vast majority of people.”
If people have open cuts or sores, it’s important to fully cover them before going into brackish water or simply avoid getting in.
“If you’ve got any sort of wound on your leg or develop a wound while you’re at the beach, you really want to try to protect yourself and not expose yourself to water in those cases,” said Dr Rachael Lee, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“If you don’t have wounds, then the risk of wading in the water is practically zero,” she said.
An end to the longest US government shutdown in history is one step closer after Senate Democrats broke with their party to strike a deal with the Republicans.
Senators backed by 60 votes to 40 legislation to end the impasse, though it still needs approval from the House of Representatives – and sign-off by President Donald Trump.
He has indicated he is happy with the agreement, though, which would restore funding for federal agencies that have gone without since 1 October.
It would also prevent any further layoffs until 30 January, but does not satisfy Democrat demands regarding health care insurance for millions of Americans.
Attractions across the US have been closed. Pic: AP
Health care was at the heart of the dispute that led to the shutdown.
The Democrats had refused to support a Republican budget plan unless tax credits that made medical insurance cheaper for millions of people were renewed.
The willingness of eight moderate Democrats to break the Senate deadlock without that guarantee has provoked fury among many in the party.
Some are now calling on Senate Minority Chuck Schumer to be replaced because he is “no longer effective”.
California Governor Gavin Newsom – regarded as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination – said: “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s surrender.”
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The shutdown has caused extensive travel disruption. Pic: Reuters
On Monday morning, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune had urged politicians to work together to break a stalemate that had lasted for more than 40 days.
He said: “The American people have suffered for long enough. Let’s not pointlessly drag this bill out.”
The shutdown began on 1 October – with 670,000 federal government employees furloughed or left with no choice but to work without pay.
SNAP, a food aid programme used by 42 million Americans, has been frozen – with thousands of flights cancelled at dozens of major airports.
Mr Trump has told air traffic controllers to get back to work, threatening anyone who doesn’t with “docked” pay.
The funding package now heading to the House of Representatives only lasts through to 30 January, making it a relatively short-term solution that will require further negotiation.
Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn over edits the organisation made last year to one of his speeches.
The organisation has been engulfed in a crisis, forced to apologise on Monday after two of its most senior figures, including the director-general, resigned on Sunday night.
The defamation claim centres around a BBC Panorama documentary, which aired October 2024 and showed an edited speech made by Mr Trump before the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, in which he appeared to tell his supporters he was going to walk with them to the US Capitol and “fight like hell”.
In a letter dated 9 November, Florida-based lawyer Alejandro Brito set the BBC a deadline of 10pm UK time on Friday to respond, outlining three demands:
• Issue a “full and fair retraction” of the documentary
• Apologise immediately
• “Appropriately compensate” the US president
He told the BBC it needed to “comply” or face being sued for $1bn.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.”
‘Error of judgement’
On Monday, BBC chairman Samir Shah, one of the most senior figures still standing, apologised for the “error of judgement” in editing the video.
In a letter to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of MPs, Mr Shah said Mr Trump’s speech was edited in a way that gave “the impression of a direct call for violent action”.
“The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement,” he added.
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Director-general and head of BBC News resign
Concerns about the edited speech first came to light in a leaked memo from Michael Prescott, a former journalist and independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Board.
As a result, BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness announced their resignations on Sunday evening, saying in emails to staff that mistakes had been made.
Mr Davie will address an all-staff meeting on Tuesday. While on her way into the Broadcasting House on Monday morning, Ms Turness defended the corporation, rejecting accusations of institutional bias.
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A spokesperson for the prime minister told reporters on Monday that the BBC wasn’t corrupt or institutionally biased.
Instead, they said it had a “vital role” to play in the modern age, but needed to ensure it acted “to maintain trust and correct mistakes quickly when they occur”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves also stood by the corporation, but said that “lessons do need to be learned”.
‘Nothing but an apology’
Veteran broadcaster and former BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby told Sky News, however, that the organisation owed the US president nothing more than an apology.
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‘These are very serious times for the BBC’
But former legal correspondent for the BBC Joshua Rozenberg also told Sky News that he believed the corporation would “very likely” consider settling with Trump.
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Mr Trump’s attack on the BBC is the latest in a long string of multibillion-dollar battles he’s engaged with various media institutions.
Former al Qaeda commander and now Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa has been welcomed by Donald Trump to the White House.
It was the first visit to the Oval Office by a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence in 1946.
Mr Sharaa, 43, who once had a $10m US bounty on his head, led rebel forces that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad last December, and was named interim leader in January.
The US president called Mr al Sharaa a “very strong leader” after their meeting and suggested the US would work to help the country succeed.
“He comes from a very tough place,” Mr Trump said, adding Mr al Sharaa is a “tough guy” and “I like him”.
Mr Sharra has “had a rough past”, but added, “we’ve all had a rough past”, he added.
Trump shared a picture of the two leaders on social media. Pic: Truth Social
Mr Trump has become one of the Syrian president’s more enthusiastic backers, considering the nation of strategic importance.
He didn’t provide any policy details about the meeting, but said “we’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful because that’s part of the Middle East”.
Read more: Why this meeting is a big deal
Trump and al Sharaa appeared to get on well. Pics: AP
‘What the hell are we doing?’
Mr al Sharaa was greeted by a cheering crowd of supporters, some waving Syrian flags, upon his arrival on Monday.
But not everyone was overjoyed at the historic meeting.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a self-proclaimed “Islamophobe” who wields influence in Mr Trump’s MAGA movement, posted on X that Mr al Sharaa was “the ISIS ‘President’ of Syria”.
“What the hell are we doing?” she wrote of his White House visit.
Days before the meeting, Mr Trump told reporters “a lot of progress has been made” on Syria and Mr al Sharaa was “doing a very good job”.
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al Sharaa waves as he greets supporters outside the White House. Pics: AP
Last week, the US voted to lift a series of sanctions on the Syrian president and members of his government.
Mr al Sharaa is hoping for a permanent repeal of sanctions placed on Syria for allegations of human rights abuses by Assad’s government and security forces – but congressional action would be needed for a permanent repeal.
Mr Trump and Mr al Sharaa first met in May in Saudi Arabia. At the time, the US president described Mr al Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter”.
Monday’s meeting came after Syria launched raids against Islamic State cells.
It was the first official encounter between the US and Syria since 2000, when then president Bill Clinton met Hafez Assad.
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