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Virginia Man Dies of Flesh Eating Bacteria

Vibrio Vulnificus (Flesh Easting Bacteria)
creative commons
Vibrio Vulnificus (Flesh Easting Bacteria)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A health official says flesh-eating bacteria contributed to the death of a Virginia man.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports 75-year-old Charles Horner of Mechanicville died last week after a leg cut he sustained from a catfish spine in the Rappahannock River became infected.

Chickahominy Health District director Thomas Franck says Horner is the first death reported in Virginia this year from vibrio vulnificus.

The bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters, especially in the summer months.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.