When Captain Jesse Arsola of Bay City scraped his knee on his boat trailer two weeks ago, he shrugged off the superficial wound and went fishing. Two weeks later that same small cut has him landed in the hospital with a morphine drip for the pain.
This past week, Arsola said he fished eight consecutive days, the first half in Matagorda and the last half in Baffin Bay. Arsola finally had a day off a week ago Friday, but began to feel nauseated and run a fever. A few hours later the fever subsided; however, the next day it reappeared. A day later he went to the doctor to receive a couple of shots to try and knock out the fever for good. When he woke up the next morning, the scabbed over cut on his knee was untouchable with shear pain running through his leg. In fact, his entire right leg was swollen from the knee down and was about 25 percent larger than his left leg.
" I woke up and tried to walk to the bathroom and could not make it," said Arsola. "I knew something was really wrong with my leg."
Sunday afternoon, Arsola was admitted to Matagorda General Hospital in Bay City where doctors determined he was suffering from a bacteria contracted from either the boat trailer or contact with a water-borne bacteria while wading. Knowing Arsola the way I do, my money is on the latter since he is an avid wader and did not show immediate symptoms until he came in contact with saltwater.
"It could have been from Matagorda, but my last trip before I got sick was in Baffin Bay," said Arsola.
Though the exact name of the bacteria was not confirmed, Arsola could have been affected by the bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus, a warm seawater bacteria which thrives during the summer and is in the same family as cholera, a part of the vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt.
Common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain; however, in immunocompromised persons, especially those with liver disease, V. vulnificus can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe illness characterized by fever, chills, septic shock and skin lesions.
Such bloodstream infections are fatal 50 percent of the time, according to the Center for Disease Control; and, persons with pre-existing medical conditions are 80 times more likely to develop bloodstream infections than healthy humans.
The risk for waders is direct contact with open wounds in waters where the bacterium persists; or, getting pricked by the horn of a shrimp or fish, especially small baitfish like perch or croakers. The bacterium is often found in oysters and other shellfish in warm coastal waters during the summer and ingestion of the bacterium can be contracted by eating these contaminated seafoods.
Though rare, the disease is often underreported. Between 1988 and 1995, CDC received reports of 300 V. vulnificus infections, mainly from Gulf Coast states like Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
As I visited Arsola in his hospital bed Tuesday, he said doctors had made a small incision near his ankle to allow fluid to drain from his leg. He said the constant throbbing in his leg made the pain unbearable, but also said doctors were scheduled to close the wound and allow the healing process to begin.
"I have never felt like this and I want everyone out there to know about it so it will not happen to them," said Arsola. "This is some bad stuff, and people really need to take precautions if they have little nicks or cuts before wading."

Meanwhile, Captain Charlie Paradoski called and confirmed a pair of his clients, though not fishing with him at the time, contracted a bacteria while wading the inshore division of the Poco Bueno fishing tournament in Port O'Connor during the same time frame as Arsola's injury. Paradoski said he believes the duo was infected somewhere along the Powderhorn shoreline of West Matagorda Bay since that is where they predominantly fished.
Both, as of Wednesday, were in intensive care in a Victoria hospital. One has lost a foot and is suffering from liver and kidney failure, while the other had his leg opened by doctors, much like Arsola, to allow fluid to drain.
According to Paradoski, the more critical patient tripped and fell at the dock when a wading stringer wrapped around his leg, causing multiple abrasions to his leg. The next day he took that injury into the water. He recently had experienced health problems. The less critical patient contracted the disease when his wading boots rubbed a blister on his foot. He has just recovered from the flu.
Though uncomfirmed, Paradoski said a young boy cut his toe while swimming near Holliday Beach and contracted the bacteria during the same weekend. Holliday Beach is in close vicinity of the Powderhorn shoreline where the two men are believed to been infected.
"I nick or cut my hand on almost every trip," said Paradoski. "I have never used pliers and constantly cut my hands while trying to rip hooks out of fishes' mouths. I guess I better change my ways."
How do you prevent contact with the disease? First, keep all open wound s dry and out of the water. If you have an open sore on your leg and must wade, wear waders. If you cut yourself while in the water, doctors suggest dousing the wound with hydrogen peroxide, or better yet, bleach. Then apply an antibiotic ointment and cover the wound. That means it is a good idea to have these items on your boat.
If any of the above symptoms persist, see a doctor immediately. The bacteria has been successfully treated with antibiotics such as Doxycycline. Once recovered, patients should see no long-term effects.
Time is everything, just ask Arsola.
"The doctors worked quick once they realized what was ailing me and that helped control it before it got too bad. I feel bad but I am going to be okay. I would hate to see it any worse."



BinkGrimes
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Bay City, Tx 77414
bgrimes@wcnet.net
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Above article reprinted with permission from author, Mr. Bink Grimes