North Providence Resident Says She Contracted Bacterial Skin Infection After Swimming at RI Beaches
Thursday, August 01, 2019
A North Providence resident is saying she was told she contracted cellulitis -- a bacterial skin infection -- after swimming at Rhode Island beaches.
Now, Donna Pezza is warning others, and looking for answers, after the state has closed, and re-opened, multiple beaches throughout the state over the last two weeks.
"I am in such pain -- I can't even move my neck," Pezza told GoLocalProv.com -- but said she "couldn't pinpoint" which beach might have caused it.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOn Wednesday, Donna Pezza took to Facebook to write the following.
"I just came home from the hospital — I got Cellulitis bacteria infection from the dirty ocean here in R.I. Please stay out of the ocean…it is full of bacteria which can cause this or vomiting and diarrhea or even skin rash…R.I. Department of Recreation is not reporting what could happen to you and they should stop people from any swimming at all beaches until all is 100% clean."
Beaches in Question
"I beach hop everywhere," said Pezza, who said she was at Wheeler and Scarborough Beaches in Narragansett last week, and Easton's Beach in Newport over the weekend.
Scarborough Beach was closed on Tuesday by the Rhode Island Department of Health with a recommended opening for Scarborough North on Wednesday; Easton's was closed on July 24 -- and reopened on July 25.
Pezza, who said she had no open wounds, initially dismissed the pain in her neck and shoulder.
"I had an ache over the weekend, and yesterday I woke up and the pain was horrific, but I thought it was a muscular thing," said Pezza. "And I went to the beach anyway, I had no idea."
"This morning, I woke up and I felt a big huge lump and what felt like water pouring out of it," said Pezza. "So I went to Fatima [Hospital], which is as far as I could drive. I could barely move or turn my head."
"They treated me and said it was cellulitis bacteria -- which is caused by bacteria beach water," said Pezza. "They did a chest x-ray and blood work -- which came back good, apparently mine's on the surface. I've got two oral antibiotics -- and am taking Motrin and Tylenol for the pain."
Department of Health Responds
"Hospitals are not required to report cases of cellulitis to the Rhode Island Department of Health," said Joseph Wendelken with the Rhode Island Department of Health. "We have not received any reports of cellulitis. But again, there is not a requirement for hospitals to report this information."
"People should keep cuts, scrapes, and wounds clean and covered until they heal," said Wendelken. "If someone has a break in their skin, they should stay out of beach water, as there are germs in beach water that can enter the body that way. That is one way to avoid developing a skin infection."
Pezza, however, insists she did not have any open wounds.
Back to the Beach
Pezza said once she is recovered she'll likely go back to the beach -- but only in the southernmost parts of the state.
"When we were at Scarborough [last week], we were on the north side and the water was filthy with red tide," said Pezza. "I thought, why they were letting people in to swim? I don't think they're testing the water correctly."
"I refuse to give up going to the beach -- I'll go to Charlestown, or Misquamicut. I think it's much more clean down there. Any place past Narragansett," said Pezza.
"When I took my five-year-old granddaughter to Easton's Beach, she started throwing up after going to the beach," said Pezza. "The doctors said it's the size of the bacteria."
"I wish the state would investigate more. People shouldn't be going in the water like this. But it's all about money at the gate," said Pezza.
Latest in RI
In 2018, GoLocalProv took a look at the water quality of Rhode Island's beaches in "Are Rhode Island's Beaches Safe? Not Always"
It is beach time and it is also beach closure time.
Swimming in and ingesting contaminated water can cause people to become sick with diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal issues, according to regulators.
According to Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), children are particularly at risk because they are more likely to accidentally swallow more water while swimming, and they are likely to become more severely ill if exposed to harmful bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control also warns that pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system, including children, are more at risk of becoming seriously ill from exposure to contaminated water.
This story was first published 7/31/19 3:55 PM
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