Does Florida fog contain Serratia Marcescens? Fogvid-24 rumors swirl. What to know
Large parts of the Sunshine State have been fogged in for the last week. Is it a bioweapon attack on American soil?
Fog is a common, natural occurrence that has a variety of possible sources. Most often in Florida, it happens when either warm energy from the ground radiates into space on a clear night, cooling the ground and the air right above it and causing the water vapor to condense into tiny cloud droplets, or when warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico) sweeps over a colder land surface.
Fog forms regularly in Florida, especially as the state approaches its dry season. So far it has caused some cruise ships some extra navigational difficulties and delayed one Falcon 9 SpaceX launch while others went up, dense fog or no dense fog.
But social media has been swarming with frightened accusations of nefarious origin including mysterious particles, a metal or chemical taste, unusually dry ground, lingering respiratory issues and the possibility it’s a military bioweapons test.
An X user named Maskless in Florida! in Homosassa said last Tuesday, “we are once again being sprayed like bugs with a chemical fog. Respiratory issues are skyrocketing, chest colds you can’t get over and our Governor does nothing to stop it.” Sue Pear #MAHA pointed out there was no moisture. MomOfTheSouth was one of several people posting video of visible particles swirling in the fog, saying “I don’t ever remember seeing fog like this.”
There have also been reports since January that samples of the fog have been tested in an unnamed laboratory and found to contain high levels of the bacteria Serratia Marcescens. No link is ever provided.
It’s the latest in a widespread claim across the U.S. that the dense fog blanketed large areas of the country in the last two months, nicknamed Fogvid-24, was making people sick.
there bacteria in the Florida fog?
No laboratory report test results have been presented, only referenced in social media posts.
In January, the Daily Mail reported on the rumored fears of an unannounced germ warfare test and a Florida resident told the British tabloid the conditions made her feel ill.
Why has Florida been so foggy lately?
Weather conditions have been perfect for it, according to Megan Tollefsen, Coastal Hazards Program Leader at the National Weather Service in Melbourne. The state has been under an area of high pressure with lighter local winds and clear skies, and that sets the stage.
“When you have just enough moisture present closer to the surface, this can make conditions even more favorable for fog development,” she said in a phone call Monday morning. “Because conditions have been so favorable, we’ve seen these visibility reductions down to less than a mile plenty of times, and even down to the low of a quarter of a mile in some spots.”
Why can I see particles in the Florida fog?
Several videos on social media of people shining lights into the fog seem to reveal swirling particles. Are those bacteria?
“If you shine, you know, any kind of light in the fog, what you’re actually seeing are the very, very small water droplets. They can reflect light,” Tollefsen said. “Similar to when you’re out driving and you turn your high beams on in fog. You get that flashback from the light.
“So that is likely what people are seeing,” she said.
Why am I experiencing respiratory infection symptoms that won’t go away after the fog?
A 2001 study found that inhalation of moist, humid fog can induce coughing in people and potentially bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma.
