Doctors warned about dangerous bacteria on Turkish beaches

Turkish doctors have warned tourists about the risk of infection with the dangerous Vibrio bacteria, which can cause serious diseases, including cholera. This was reported by the newspaper Milliyet, citing specialists from the Florence Nightingale medical center in Istanbul.

According to urologist Ugur Aferin, DNA of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus bacteria was found on the coasts of the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean seas. He explained that these bacteria multiply in warm salt water, and one of them - Vibrio cholerae - can enter the body through contaminated seawater and cause cholera with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Although cases of cholera in Turkey are rare, the possibility of infection still exists.

The specialist noted that contact between seawater and open wounds poses a particular danger. Some strains, particularly Vibrio vulnificus, can cause dangerous skin infections, including necrotizing fasciitis, known as the "flesh-eating bacteria." Vibrio parahaemolyticus, found in seafood - especially in raw oysters - can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, and in people with weak immunity, it can lead to sepsis.

Also, during the summer period, doctors recorded an increase in urological diseases, especially among women, due to prolonged wearing of wet swimsuits. In addition, experts warned about the risks of infections in public swimming pools - there you can catch rotavirus, hepatitis A, and other pathogens.

Doctors do not recommend swimming for children with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or with open wounds. Pediatrician Hussein Yildiz added that infants under four months should not swim in the sea at all, and in pools - until six months, because at this age there is a high risk of dehydration due to poor control of the head and neck.