Expert: Flesh-Eating Bacteria A Rare Danger In Ga. Waters. Swimmers, including the four-legged variety, enjoy a dip in Lake Lanier. Dangerous, waterborne bacteria are most prevalent in warm, shallow and stagnant water. Click to see full answer.
Full Answer
How much water is in Lake Lanier?
But the lake brought multiple benefits, including flood protection from the Chattahoochee, which flows west of Atlanta. Today Lake Lanier has about 625 billion gallons of water -- the equivalent of 950,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. And they yield mysterious stories.
How many people have died at Lake Lanier?
But the true backstory of Lake Lanier, built over an underwater ghost town, is just as interesting. More than 200 people have died at Lake Lanier since 1994. The controversy surrounding the lake, as described by author and historian Lisa Russell, started long before its construction.
Is Lake Lanier's Lady of the lake real?
One of Lake Lanier's most popular urban legends involves a car wreck. According to the story, a Ford sedan carrying two women careened off a bridge in April 1958 and tumbled into the lake. Some say the ghost of one of the women, dubbed the " Lady of the Lake," wanders the bridge at night in a blue dress, lost and restless.
How dangerous is the flesh-eating bacteria in the Atlantic Ocean?
Each summer, as the waters along the U.S. coastline heat up, cases of flesh-eating bacteria start to grow. The bacteria — which can be deadly, depending on the type — thrives in water with temperatures that stay above 55 degrees year-round, making the southern portion of the Atlantic coastline a common source of cases.
Why are you not supposed to swim in Lake Lanier?
“Bacteria doesn't thrive in Lake Lanier, but it is introduced from the rivers and tributaries that come into the lake. If you give it time to clear up after rainfall, that bacteria count goes back down to normal.”
Are there flesh-eating bacteria in lakes?
Flesh-eating bacteria such as vibrio can be found in natural bodies of water such as a backyard stream or large lakes. If you've been vaccinated you now have a green light from the CDC to do almost any activity without wearing a mask.
Why is Lake Lanier so unsafe?
Huge pieces of metal or jagged wood break off the vessels and float into the main waterways. They pose a danger to tubers, skiers and swimmers who may not see the hazards until too late. “I think it's a huge safety issue,” says John Barker with the Lake Lanier Association.
Where is the flesh-eating bacteria located?
The most common body sites where necrotizing fasciitis tends to occur are the extremities (arms, hands, feet and legs). However, necrotizing fasciitis can also occur in the head, neck and groin regions depending on the circumstances and risk factors.
Is it OK to swim in a lake with a cut?
Do not enter bodies of water if you have cuts or abrasions; if injured, clean wound at once to reduce risk of infection. Many harmful micro-organisms are found in lakes, rivers, along the coast, and in other bodies of water.
Can you get a parasite from swimming in a lake?
Giardia infection (giardiasis) is one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in the United States. The parasites are found in backcountry streams and lakes but also in public water supplies, swimming pools, whirlpool spas and wells. Giardia infection can be spread through food and person-to-person contact.
Is it safe to swim in Lake Lanier?
The dam is at the southern end of Lake Lanier. While it remains unsafe to venture into the Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier remains safe for swimmers and boaters.
Is Lake Lanier the deadliest lake in America?
ake Lanier, the largest lake in Georgia, is one of the deadliest in the U.S. Since its formation, 500 people have died there, nearly 200 since 1994. About eleven million visitors descend upon its shores every year, about the same number as visit the Louvre.
What is at the bottom of Lake Lanier?
Although the lake is 152-feet deep at its lowest point, underwater forests with trees as tall as 60 feet rest at the bottom. The trees, remaining chicken coops, building foundations and cemeteries make it challenging to dredge Lake Lanier for bodies.
Is there flesh-eating bacteria in Destin?
Several cases of flesh-eating bacteria, otherwise known as necrotizing fasciitis, have put people in hospitals across the United States and killed some. A Memphis man died Sunday after contracting the flesh-eating bacteria, vibrio vulnificus, while on vacation in Destin, Florida.
What beaches have flesh-eating bacteria?
vulnificus – a flesh-eating bacteria – is commonly found in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, but it can also be found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Like humans, many bacteria like to spend time at the beach.
Can you survive flesh-eating bacteria?
Flesh-eating strep infections or necrotizing fasciitis is considered rare. Necrotizing fasciitis is a treatable disease. Only certain rare bacterial strains are able to cause necrotizing fasciitis, but these infections progress rapidly so the sooner one seeks medical care, the better the chances of survival.
What is the name of the bacteria that is associated with flesh eating?
Streptococcus A is the type of bacteria usually associated with flesh-eating cases, so when symptoms first appear, "most doctors often aren't looking for Aeromonas," said Amy Horneman, an aeromonas expert and microbiologist at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. "This is the Rodney Dangerfield of pathogens.
Who is at risk for flesh eating bacteria?
Who is at-risk for this flesh-eating bacteria and what you can do to protect yourself? You are at greater risk if: You have a weakened immune system from illness or cancer treatment, for example. You have a chronic health problem such as liver disease, diabetes, or kidney disease.
Where are the flesh eating bacteria in the Gulf of Mexico?
RELATED: What to Know About Necrotizing Fasciitis — the Flesh-Eating Bacteria Showing Up at Beaches. Of the reported cases, eight occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, where flesh-eating bacteria, especially the vibrio species, have thrived for years because of the year-round warm waters. In April, a man fishing in Ozona, Florida, contracted the bacteria.
How many people died from flesh eating bacteria?
In most cases, after a day out on the water in places like Florida, Texas and Maryland, they required a significant hospital stay and often surgery. For three people, they sadly died after contracting the most severe type of flesh-eating bacteria, necrotizing fasciitis — a rare but deadly disease where the bacteria attacks the skin and soft tissue, ...
What temperature does flesh eating bacteria live in?
The bacteria — which can be deadly, depending on the type — thrives in water with temperatures that stay above 55 degrees year-round, making the southern portion of the Atlantic coastline a common source of cases. In 2019, several people or their families have spoken out about contracting a flesh-eating bacteria.
What happened to the 12 year old girl in Destin?
Two months later, the same thing happened to a 12-year-old girl vacationing in Destin, Florida. Just a few days later, a 77-year-old woman died after walking along Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island in the same state. After the Fourth of July weekend, five people developed flesh-eating bacteria — a man in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, ...
Where is Vibrio spreading?
While most cases are in the southern part of the Eastern Seaboard, the flesh-eating bacteria vibrio is spreading north because of climate change, a new study found. Between 2017 and 2018, there were five cases where people contracted the bacteria in the Delaware Bay, or near Delaware and New Jersey.
How to prevent a wound from getting in the water?
Practicing good hygiene is crucial in prevention. Make sure to shower after going in the water, and properly care for any and all wounds — which includes keeping them covered with dry, clean bandages. Those with open wounds and active infections should avoid bodies of water, especially swimming pools and hot tubs.
Why is there naught to be done to rid Georgia waters of the bacteria?
There is naught to be done to rid Georgia waters of the bacteria because it is commonly found in warm climates. “These bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis are common in warm-water lakes and streams.
What causes necrotizing fasciitis in lakes?
Bacteria that causes necrotizing fasciitis "common in warm-water lakes and streams". Summertime brings plenty of hot days, bathing suits and trips to the lake to beat the heat, but few know that Georgia’s waters contain a bacteria that causes necrotizing fasciitis — a flesh-eating disease, from which University alumna Aimee Copeland is recovering.
What is the disease that destroys muscles, fat, and skin tissue?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website defines necrotizing fasciitis as a rapidly progressive disease that destroys muscles, fat, and skin tissue. Group A Streptococcal bacteria, the type of bacteria that causes necrotizing fasciitis , is the same type that causes strep throat.
Can swimmers come into contact with bacteria?
It cannot be guaranteed that swimmers will not come into contact with the bacteria,” said Kevin Chambers, director of communications for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, in an email interview with the Red & Black.
What happened to the Lady of Lake Lanier?
One of Lake Lanier's most popular urban legends involves a car wreck. According to the story, a Ford sedan carrying two women careened off a bridge in April 1958 and tumbled into the lake. Some say the ghost of one of the women, dubbed the " Lady of the Lake ," wanders the bridge at night in a blue dress, lost and restless.
How many people have died at Lake Lanier?
But the true backstory of Lake Lanier, built over an underwater ghost town, is just as interesting. More than 200 people have died at Lake Lanier since 1994.
Why was Lake Lanier built?
Named for poet Sidney Lanier, the lake was built in the 1950s to provide electric power, water and flood protection. Some families later regretted their decision once they realized they couldn't survive on what the government offered, Russell told CNN.
Why did the Army Corps of Engineers want to create a lake in Atlanta?
Then came the US Army Corps of Engineers, which wanted to create a lake to provide Atlanta and surrounding counties with power and water. The government offered locals money for their farmland.
What did the Army Corps do to Lake Lanier?
The Army Corps flooded farmland bought from hundreds of families to create Lake Lanier. "At first, the government assured land owners that they were being paid for the true value of the land and buildings, but residents found it hard to price generations of memories, hard work and deep roots," Russell wrote in her book, ...
Why did the Corps remove bleachers from the lake?
It remains at the lake bottom, although the Corps removed its bleachers so they wouldn't float to the surface and cause a hazard for boats, Yabor said. The concrete block foundations of some small buildings also were submerged, Yabor said. Some people have claimed to hear church bells from a sunken church.
What was left behind in Gainesville?
An old auto-racing track near Gainesville was also left behind. It remains at the lake bottom, although the Corps removed its bleachers so they wouldn't float to the surface and cause a hazard for boats, Yabor said. The concrete block foundations of some small buildings also were submerged, Yabor said.
