Family says there must be “education and knowledge,” not fear, about Vibrio bacteria

The daughters of a Mississippi man who died from a rare flesh-eating bacteria say they want people to remember him for his love of life and the water — not for fear of the illness that claimed his life.

Basil Kennedy, 77, of Bay St. Louis, was described by his daughters as the “life of the party.” He suffered a small scratch on his leg while moving his boat trailer, which he regularly used to launch into the water, outside his home, they told The Advocate. Kennedy cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide and covered it with a bandage.

Just three days later, however, his condition deteriorated. He developed a fever, began vomiting, and showed symptoms of impending septic shock. Doctors determined he had been infected with Vibrio vulnificus, a waterborne, flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in saltwater and brackish water — a mixture of salt and fresh water — and causes an illness known as vibriosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most vibrio infections occur after people eat raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters, since the bacteria accumulate inside shellfish. But infections can also occur when the bacteria enter the body through an open wound, tattoo, or piercing exposed to contaminated water.

In Kennedy’s case, his daughter Kay Kennedy Regimbal explained, the bacteria had been present on his boat trailer. When he scraped his leg, the bacteria entered his bloodstream.

Despite undergoing two surgeries to remove dead tissue, Kennedy died on July 21.

This year, officials have reported an uptick in vibrio infections. The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed 17 cases, with 75% linked to water exposure rather than food. Florida health officials reported 16 cases, including five deaths. Experts, including Antarpreet Jutla, professor and director of the USGS FL Water Resources Research Center at the University of Florida, say warmer waters caused by climate change are fueling the spread. “Warmer waters create more favorable conditions for Vibrio proliferation,” Jutla told Newsweek.

Still, Regimbal stressed that her father would not want people to avoid the water. “There doesn’t need to be a fear of the water. There needs to be an education and a knowledge — if you have a cut, if you could have been exposed, if there is a risk, how to handle it and what to do,” she said.

The CDC advises washing cuts thoroughly with soap and fresh water after exposure to coastal waters, and avoiding entering the water with any open wounds.

“My dad would be devastated,” Regimbal said, “to hear that people fear his most favorite thing in the world.”

Kennedy, an avid sailor, served as Commodore of the Gulf Yachting Association and this year received the Jack and Flo Scheib Award for his contributions to sailing, according to his obituary.

“All of our favorite family memories are on the water,” Regimbal reflected.

His other daughter, Rebekah Kennedy, remembered him as a man of energy and joy. “He was happy. He was resilient. He had a servant’s heart,” she said.