TAMPA, Fla — With hot temperatures outside, the water has really heated up in Tampa Bay and the Gulf.
Usually, a hot day a the beach is paired with several dips in the Gulf to cool down, but this year that doesn't seem to work.
"I've never seen it this hot in my life," said Dr. John Sinnott, a Professor of Medicine at USF and Tampa General Hospital.
If you're from Florida, you've heard the Gulf can feel like bath water during the summer, but lately, the temps have felt more jacuzzi-like, which creates a space for bacteria like Vibrio.
ABC Action News Meteorologist Greg Dee explained our water temperature varies like the air temperature from spot to spot. But, overall, it's at the highest of the season, around 94 degrees in the Gulf and 96 in Tampa Bay. That is unusually high, and while a few degrees warmer than usual may not seem like a big deal, those few degrees can really throw things off.
"In warmer water, pathogens replicate faster, and there's more of them," said Dr. Sinnott. "So, as a result, if you look at, say, Vibrio, from cuts at the beach, or even gastroenteritis and sepsis, [it] has gone way up."
Dr. Sinnott said people who cut themselves in the water on a barnacle, rock or shell are at risk.
"In elderly people...we see these people are much more active than they used to be, so they are out getting these diseases at a higher frequency," he said. "Which, again, puts Florida in the bull's-eye of what's happening."
Dr. David Wein, the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Tampa General Hospital, said people who have compromised immune systems can also be at a higher risk. He said people should avoid getting into the water if they have any severe cuts or wounds and look out for infection if they do get in.
"If it's more than just a little bit of redness that you notice around the wound, rapidly spreading redness, really severe pain — those are good reasons to seek medical care, high fever, etc.," he said.
And, if you do head to the E.R., "We're going to examine the wound obviously, make an assessment based on what we see, get that history from you," he said. "It's helpful to know what you were swimming in, how long you were in it. If you have any other medical problems that might put you at risk for some of those things."
According to the CDC, 44% of Americans don't have a first aid kit. Brad Greer, the CEO of DrySee, said it's a good idea to keep one in your car and stock it with the bandage he created, which he said is a first of its kind.
"DrySee will change color if there's any leakage into the bandage or wound area from the ocean water or even the water from your pool," he said.
When that happens, it's time to change the bandage, which can be worn for three to four days. He originally created it for cancer patients to protect their chemotherapy ports from getting wet in the shower.
