BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health just last week issued a warning about a potentially-deadly bacteria found in water. Now, a woman who lost her husband to a common and similar strain is sharing her story.
Dorothy Burger lost her husband, Paul, in 2011 after he became infected with necrotizing fasciitus in his mouth and was unable to recover. Burger was doing yard work at their Bradford County home, where there was still water around in which the bacteria had bred.
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"Being in the mouth, you know, it's not something that you can remove," Dorothy Burger told News4Jax. "There's no surgery you can do for it. You know, unless you get it in your hand and they can possibly take your hand. But in your mouth there's nothing they can do."
While contracting the bacteria is rare, the Florida Department of Health has shared some prevention tips. The agency says people with open cuts or sores should avoid ocean water or any standing water. Also, people who eat raw shellfish should make sure that it's cooked thoroughly and all bacteria has been destroyed.