'Bacteria eat humans' after being bitten by sharks

At the beginning of August 2018, a Texas man survived being bitten by a shark but unfortunately his wound was infected with the human-eating bacterium.

In the morning of August 9, 2018, a construction worker named Blaine Shelton was bathing in warm water, about 183 meters from the Crystal Coast, when he was suddenly bitten by a shark above his knees.

He said: 'I saw his fin and I knew that it was not a dolphin, so I swam around to get out of it, but then it hit my leg'.

Shelton's wound.

Fortunately, he could swim ashore with the help of a policeman who was patrolling in the area. Experts said that Mr. Shelton was bitten by a child.

According to the University of Florida museum, bull sharks weigh on average between 91 and 132kg and can be 2.3 to 2.4 meters long. They are common in coastal areas of Texas and can live in both saltwater and freshwater.

He returned home after four days of treatment at Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, but had to return to the hospital because of severe pain after a few days.

Shelton appears to be infected with a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus , which often thrives in warm, coastal waters like the Gulf, Texas. V. Vulnificus is often called human-eating bacteria because when they attack the wound, they will necrotic the tissues and skin around the wound. If not treated promptly, will lead to death.

Shelton said that although he heard about the bacteria in the country, he never considered it a serious problem. However, after this time if there were any scratches on his body, he would not take a shower anymore.

Experts also recommend that: 'seawater is full of bacteria and viruses. Anyone with any open wounds, cuts or scratches, they need to minimize exposure to seawater . "