When Bobby Henderson set out for a Jet Ski ride on Lake Dora, he couldn't have predicted the potentially lethal turn his day would take. According to ClickOrlando, after slipping on algae and slicing his shin on submerged rocks, Henderson contracted a rare bacterial infection known as Edwardsiella tarda, which landed him in the hospital for a six-day stint, inclusive of surgery to remove an abscess from his leg.
Despite the scare, "I probably could’ve lost my life because I didn’t realize how bad this bacteria is," Henderson joked in a statement detailed by ClickOrlando. His casual dismissal of the initial injury evolved into a fight to keep his leg, after waking to unbearable pain and fever the day following the incident. According to FOX 35 Orlando, even the medical staff were caught off-guard by the infection, having never seen a case at their hospital before.
Henderson's ordeal highlights not just the virulence of this rare bacterium but also the broader risk posed by freshwater pathogens lurking in Florida's lakes. Experts like Dr. Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist with Orlando Health, caution that bacteria of this nature "can be very fatal, very quickly," as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. With a note of urgency, Egan urges those with open wounds to promptly exit the water, cleanse the wound, and vigilantly watch for escalating symptoms.
