Many of beachgoers’ concerns come from the recent reports of a Texas man who died after contracting vibrio vulnificus, while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

The bacteria, often referred to as flesh-eating because it rapidly destroys skin, fat and tissue, is found in warm waters along the coast. Most people contract the bacteria after eating raw or undercooked shellfish, though it can cause infections in swimmers who enter the water with open wounds.

Those who are infected by the bacteria are at greater risk if they also have underlying health issues.

The man in Texas already suffered from liver damage. When he entered the water with a new tattoo, the bacteria had a giant entryway into his body. Three days after his swim, the unidentified man was checked into a Dallas hospital with pains in his legs.

While the hospital attempted to treat the illness for weeks, the man died from septic shock approximately two months after his admission.

In late May, a fisherman in Pascagoula, Mississippi was confirmed as that state’s first positive case for vibrio vulnificus after he allegedly accidentally stuck himself with a shrimp while fishing near Souix Bayou.

Local health officials said there have not been any water-based cases of vibrio vulnificus in Baldwin County this year.

The last major occurrence of the bacteria in Baldwin County happened in 2014 in Orange Beach when a tourist contracted the bacteria in his leg after eating raw oysters.

Dr. Michelle Fanucchi, an associate professor in environmental health sciences at UAB, said the conditions in Alabama’s Gulf waters and Mobile Bay area are good sites where this bacteria could flourish.

“The Gulf and the bay are much warmer than some other areas of salt water,” Fanucchi said. “The average temperature in the Gulf in Alabama is between 82 and 86 degrees during summer months. The warmer water is a better breeding ground for a lot of these things.”

Fanucchi added beach debris was also a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

“If you have the wrack, which is debris washed up at the high tide line, that is a very good nutrient source for bacteria and things,” Fanucchi said. “It’s a good little nutrient soup, which would be true for any marine environment. Warm water and any debris make a good environment.”

She added that environmental pressures from growth along the Mobile Bay region could also play a factor.

“For the bay areas, the high population density means you have a lot more waste going to your treatment facilities,” Fanucchi said. “There’s just a lot of pressure on the environment, so if anything goes wrong with that and it leaks out into the bay, that could just cause more problems.”

Fanucchi encouraged people to be sure to check water reports for sites before going out for a swim and recommended the Mobile Baykeeper’s swim guide as a good source of information.

“Their guide is updated weekly during the beach season and is available as an app,” Fanucchi said.

Fanucchi said Alabama Water Watch, a community-based water monitoring group, was also a good source for information.

“It’s a broader network of citizen scientists,” Fanucchi said. “If anyone wants to take a more active role, they can contact Alabama Water Watch and become a citizen scientist themselves.”

Fanucchi said staying involved and doing your research beforehand can help prevent potential exposure and she encourages residents to attend city meetings to make sure their area is adequately taking steps to prevent problems.

“Whenever there is a new development going on, I think people should go to city council meetings and make sure that the infrastructure is large enough to deal with these types of problems,” Fanucchi said.

Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said his city continues to monitor their areas for possible issues, but said people should be cautious and aware of their surroundings.

“It’s on our radar,” Kennon said. “If you have a cut, you need to pay close attention to the wound. You have to take precautions.”

Kennon said for parents to be especially cautious in keeping an eye on their children.

“With kids climbing around piers and playing around, there’s always a high risk factor for them to get cut or have an open wound without realizing it,” Kennon said. “There are other things that are way more likely to cause problems than just bacteria, but it’s just always best to be on the safe side.”

Dr. Randall Knutson of Thomas Hospital’s emergency medicine department said the hospital has not treated anyone for the bacteria this year and in fact it is rare to have a patient suffering from vibrio vulnificus. More common are other bacteria in the waters that cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping and several days of yucky sickness.

For the most part, people with healthy immune systems can fight off these issues.

“People with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for any infection,” Knutson said. “If you have a chronic medical problem and you go into the bay with open wounds you run the risk of infection, it’s a small risk but it is out there.”

Knutson said there are warning signs that a wound has been infected. Redness, swelling, pain, bruising, blistering or a warming of the skin may indicate that you have contracted bacteria. If you have these symptoms, you should seek immediate treatment.

“If we do get cases, our biggest concern is to treat those with antibiotics and local wound care,” Knutson said.

If you are worried about bacteria in the water, stay out of murky, stagnate water, he said. And, just because one swimmer contracted the bacteria, doesn’t mean everyone will.

“I hope people are willing to talk about this based on true, epidemiologic facts,” Knutson said. “It’s like a shark attack. You hear there is an attack and everyone jumps out of the water. But if you fly over the water you will see there are lots of sharks. For the most part not everyone is affected. But after one instance, everyone panics.”