Another Friendly Key West Swimming Buddy – Antibiotic Resistant E-Coli

This article is a sequel to last week’s Your Friendly Florida Keys Swimming Buddy – MRSA.

I don’t imagine most people people living in Key West know about red flags being posted from time to time on Higgs Beach and Smathers Beach, on the Atlantic side of the island. Red flags with warnings, unsafe bacteria in the water. Unsafe coliform bacteria. Poop bacteria.

As graphically shown in last week’s Your Friendly Florida Keys Swimming Buddy – MRSA article, MRSA in the Florida Keys tends to attack the skin and work inward. Resistant E-Coli attacks internally and works outward. Both are fatal, if not treated, and both are very difficult to treat medically.

What kicked off this delectable discussion was I wrote this to fishing enthusiast and environmentalist Jerry Weinstock, M.D., of Key West:

Hi, Jerry –

After the surgeon carved three nasty MRSA abscesses out of tender areas on my carcass in June 2003, he said I could do anything but go into the ocean.

Divers have told me it is very easy to contract MRSA after getting a nick or scrape in the ocean down here.

Jerry wrote back  to me:

Sloan:

At Ft. Zachary Taylor, I once saw, near sundown, Snook, 30 or more in a spawning ritual—It was just too beautiful to describe, before I got sick.

I swam every day for three months during the summer until black, black debris clouded the water and visibility became less and less. I got sick on a bad day with terrible vomiting and diarrhea and stopped all my sea swimming-forever.

Sloan—all year, even in the cold –I swam in my canal wonderful –with all the marine life for 35 years —NOW full of pollution and petro -chemical refuse –seawall turned black. I swam almost every day —even with some sores on occasionally —-no infections –they got better in the clean water —now never !! terrifying RISK medically—!!!!!! Jerry

We have been in this same home going on 47 years.

( same canal) [Keyhaven]

Sloan –be real careful—a neighbor

here in Key Haven lost his life to

MRSA–(-Resistant Staph A), the cause of

MRSA—-a friend lost his foot

all he had was a nick, —Jerry, M.D.

Even later, Jerry wrote to me:

Sloan,

The cruise ships throw out millions and millions of coliform bacteria in untreated human sewage. This quote from Elizabeth Becker’s Book, OVERBOOKED, award winning author, former Correspondent NY times.

PART  5  :    “Gershon Cohen—-scientist—–the panel tested cruise ships for hazardous waste evidence— what they found —Shocked the hell out of us—-was untreated human sewage. We found THE CRUISE SHIPS WERE FLOATING POOP PRODUCERS — ships test out as much as 24 million coliform bacteria –safe limit 200 or less. This threatens all of marine life”.

Some of those bacteria are resistant to all known antibiotics –that is the Definition of MRSA –resistance —resistant E Coli can KILL US!!

There exists untold backup—we should lay this matter to rest–arguing it to a person dying of resistant infection—the world is simply not flat. These are the facts. The book OVERBOOKED available from AMAZON or the Island Bookstore.

Enough written —Jerry

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Overbooked was published April 13, 2013. It’s about a lot more than cruise ships.

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I wrote to Jerry:

What I’m still struggling with is, staph is a different bacteria from E-coli, isn’t it? Am wondering, based on what you have written to me, are their two deadly resistant bacteria in Keys waters? Staph A and E-coli?

Ian Garriques and Michael Klitenick did not speak of e-coli, when they treated me for MRSA back in 2003-04.

Thanks

Jerry wrote:

Sloan:   Back when resistant species –a long time ago– were evolving –into the danger zone–the first one was Staph Aureus  —it was resistant to Methcillin used in the Lab: Methcillin Resistant Staph Aureus.  [ MRSA] Now we have a spectra of various micro-organisms that can cause potentially lethal MRSA among them E-Coli; (I did medical research in a related field to this–and my wife has my honorary Key on a bracelet when I was inducted into the “Biological Honorary Society”–i’ts in a safety deposit box in Bk of America –should you ever want to see it –I would love to take it out.) Love and Kisses –Jerry

I know from wherein I speak ….!

I replied:

Bear with me, Jerry.

E-Coli is is scientifically proven to cause Methcillin Resistant Staph A (MRSA)? Or it is believed to have the potential to do that? Potential sounds theoretical.

Resistant E-Coli sounds horrific, but from what you have shared with me, it seems to be separate from MRSA, maybe as bad or worse, but not same as.

As bad as or worse than MRSA might be even more horrifying, because that would be two killer resistant bacteria in the water, not one.

Jerry wrote:

Sloan I don’t know how far you want to get into this— but E-Coli is an Enterococcus —and daily some of these grow ever more resistant–(not meant for general publication)  now we have VANCOMYCIN -RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS—this is an ultimate antibiotic or close to it—-IV  only —in Hospital—-from human sewage –feces –or even in some cases the female genital tract can harbor it—more rare but possible…. this is an area —superbugs that is kept under wraps to a certain extent—it could freak people out especially OCD people —CDC would “NOT” be talking freely about this if much at all… livestock are given antibiotics —meat can have them which is basically very bad as you could grow resistant innocently….eating meat…no one wants to release too much info on this for reasons you can somewhat understand —–one must understand the mechanisms of mutation well to comprehend all this—that is DNA —and evolutionary biology.   Sloan—keep your immune system up —good veggies, fruit , wild fish, seafood , grains –etc. I do not go in the sea any more and it was my PASSION believe me.

My daughter and son-in-law both at U. of FL med complex he a PHD and she a highly specialized nurse —she the coordinator for live organ transplants –the only one. he masters level in all aspects of digital instrumentation–also PHD. Job includes trouble shooter for all computers  in all Labs of the entire medical complex ——They would not go into Cruise Ship water  —possibly Looe Key far enough away. There is incredible scientific depth in my nuclear family alone and of course they are in contact with other experts daily.

Sloan –my apologies  if I have confused you but this is complicated and I have barely scratched the surface —–Jerry

I replied:

Hi, Jerry.

I do not think I am confused about Staph A and E-Coli. What I now see, thanks to your input, is two different very dangerous mutant bacteria in Keys waters.

I am confused, however, why I cannot publish this information about resistant E-Coli, if it is accurate? Freaking out the public is not my concern. The public not knowing of this double killer threat in Keys waters is my concern.

I’m  going to send you a draft of an article for The Blue Paper.

Sloan

Jerry wrote:

Hi Sloan : An article is fine —I was just trying in a few words to summarize –maybe much, much Biology, Microbiology. Evolutionary biology, Marine Biology and certainly Bio-chemistry along with ecological issues –many sciences all relevant to disturbing the bio-sphere–explaining why it is not covered much in the mass media –complexity and resistant people….it is all credible —-big time and its importance to the health of people our community fellow friends and neighbors not just important but crucial. Disturbing the eco-system—man’s disruptions—certainly dredging and Cruise ships all mitigate against a healthy intact ocean–with its immune, cleansing properties–a healthy ocean is a JOY a disturbed ocean a disaster. You are doing good investigative journalism.  All that we have exchanged is true and  factual and important.  Good going —bad and false science we can expect–always the refuge of those who care only about more dollars at the expense of our most important asset our Health. The eco-system is all connected a basic tenant, cannot be refuted—disrupt one link —disaster lurks and happens.  ——all the best! Jerry

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I sent Jerry a draft, with a question: Did he want me to tell people how to get in touch with him?

Later, Jerry wrote to me:

Hi Sloan:  all the correspondence about resistant E-Coli hangs together better than I imagined—all connected and cohesive–integrated enough for a clear article. For the 40 years in practice and “at present” we are in the telephone book–easy to reach me.

You may be missing a point —in Florida there is no enforcement —forget what is supposed to be—-Cruisers can dump anywhere they chose. Usually they do it where it will not wash back in the harbor–usually just over the reef line. We have seen feces floating about out there and the woman –middle aged –who often swims in the lane next to me was swimming at Bahia Honda Park and they were all around her. (FECES)

That is why we swim in the pool.

Jerry

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In maybe 2005, Key West Assistant City Manager John Jones told me there were several thousand leaking sewer laterals in the city, which needed to be repaired. Storm sewers overflowed during heavy rains and spilled no telling what into streets which drained into the ocean.

Naja Girard told me, it used to be that all of Key West’s sewerage was pumped through a pipe a couple of miles out into the ocean.

When I visited with Jerry and his wife Donna at their home recently, I said I am a poet, not a scientist. I look at things differently, therefore.

I said, my father’s father once told me, you cannot mess with Mother Nature; she will come back and bite you in the ass. (He used a different metaphor.) I said, I understand synergy; you mix this and that together where they don’t belong, and no telling what mutations Mother Nature will produce.

Maybe some or all of the above explains how antibiotic resistant E-Coli got its start in Key West area waters.