EEK! Here's The One Thing You Should Check BEFORE You Go Swimming

With the weather heating up all over the country, doctors are warning everybody to protect themselves against waterbone infections.

Although we’re only in April, there’s already been one reported case of Vibrio vulnificus, or flesh-eating bacteria, and Mycobacterium marinum, Dr. Tim Haman told NBC News.

"As the temperatures warm up, the water warms up, people are wanting to get more out on the water and fish," the infectious disease specialist explained. "During the winter, it's very slow. The other issue is that as the water warms up, the bacterial growth increases in the water, as well."

Vibrio vulnificus, especially, can spread quickly if an open wound comes in contact with the dangerous bacterium.

"Cuts or abrasions or they may get a puncture wound while in the water, stepping on an oyster shell or something like that, and it causes pain and swelling in the involved extremity, but it spreads very fast," Haman said.

The signs of this painful infection generally happen within the first four to six hours and include swelling, redness, and fever.

Depending on how serious the infection is, anybody with Vibrio vulnificus will typically be treated with antibiotics and must have their dead tissue removed.

Mycobacterium marinum skin infections, on the other hand, usually take a little longer to spread.

"It typically causes skin and soft tissue infections," said Dr. Haman. "We see it a lot in instances where people are fishing or they're handling seafood that's raw and then end up getting a puncture wound and it introduces the bacteria into the tissue and it can cause a pretty significant infection."

These serious skin infections can generally be prevented by wearing protective gear in the water at all times or cleaning punctured wounds with a bleach solution.