TEXAS (CNN/WBTW) – Fresh tattoo? Don’t get in the water. According to CNN, a 31-year-old man has died after ignoring the warning given by his tattoo artist.
The unidentified man went swimming in the Gulf of Mexico days after getting a tattoo on his right leg. He later went into septic shock, and had tested positive for Vibrosis, caused a bacteria found in coastal ocean water. According to reports, the man was given antibiotics, but continued to deteriorate.
Tattoo artists often advise their customers to avoid swimming in the water to let the wound properly heal. Also, to not soak the wound, and avoid bathing or showering until the new tattoo has healed, according to CNN.
According to the CDC, Vibriosis infections are caused by consuming raw or under cooked seafood, or exposing a wound to seawater. Infections are common during May through October, when the water is warmer. There are about 80,000 diagnosed Vibriosis illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States each year.
