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Eight deaths have been reported in Florida due to a “flesh-eating” bacterial infection, according to state health officials.
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed 13 total cases of Vibrio vulnificus across 11 counties, as reported by local outlets.
Last year, the state reported even higher numbers: 82 cases and 19 deaths.
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Louisiana is also seeing a higher-than-average case count, with the health department reporting 17 infections and four deaths so far in 2025.
The U.S. sees an average of 150 to 200 infections per year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most cases of the infection occur in the Gulf Coast states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas).
Eight deaths have been reported in Florida due to a “flesh-eating” bacterial infection, according to state health officials. (iStock)
What is Vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria, which are found in coastal waters, the CDC states.
This specific bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, can enter open wounds when people are swimming.
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“Warmer waters provide a ready incubator for Vibrio growth,” Dr. Nathan Goodyear, an integrative medicine physician at the Williams Cancer Institute in California, told Fox News Digital. “Flesh-eating bacteria are thermophilic halophiles, readily populating in warm, salty, brackish water.”
Additionally, an increase in plankton blooms, which harbor Vibrio bacteria, is associated with increased cases. Increased flooding and hurricanes, as well as other natural disasters, can also spread the medium in which the flesh-eating bacteria exist, Goodyear noted.
Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria, which are found in coastal waters. (iStock)
Vibrio has the potential to cause severe infections, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.
Those include invasive soft tissue infections (sometimes called “necrotizing fasciitis” or “flesh-eating bacteria”) and bloodstream infections.
“People who have skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the site of infection.”
Groups at highest risk include older adults and people who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease, Handel cautioned.
“Raw oysters and other shellfish can also be infected with Vibrio, leading to severe gastroenteritis or food poisoning,” he told Fox News Digital.
Symptoms to watch for
Vibrio symptoms depend on the type of infection, according to Handel.
“People who have skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the site of infection, which usually occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“The symptoms from skin infections can progress very quickly and quickly become life-threatening in a short time. Thankfully, those infections are rare.”
People who have eaten contaminated shellfish will have severe vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, the doctor warned.
This specific bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, typically lives in warm, brackish seawater, and can enter open wounds when people are swimming. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
While healthy people generally experience only mild symptoms, those who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease can face serious health risks.
If Vibrio vulnificus enters the bloodstream, it can cause severe illness marked by fever, chills, septic shock and blistering skin lesions, according to Florida Health.
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About half of these bloodstream infections are fatal.
Some severe cases can cause an infection called necrotizing fasciitis, which is when the flesh around an open wound dies, the CDC cautions. This rare side effect has led to Vibrio vulnificus being described as a “flesh-eating bacteria.”
Diagnosis and treatment
The bacterial infection is diagnosed by testing cultures obtained from stool, wounds or blood, according to health officials.
“People who have skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the site of infection, which usually occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
For mild infections, the CDC recommends increasing fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
Those with severe or prolonged infections should receive antibiotics to improve survival rates. For people with infected wounds, surgery may be necessary to remove dead tissue.
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“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the flesh-eating storm, Goodyear told Fox News Digital. “Early surgical debridement to remove infection sources is readily required.”
About one in five people will die from the infection, sometimes within a day or two of illness, the CDC states.
Preventing infection
To prevent Vibrio infections, experts recommend against swimming in open bodies of water like the ocean, rivers and estuaries if you have any open wounds.
“To prevent Vibrio food poisoning, avoid eating raw shellfish, especially if you are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease,” Handel advised.
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“If you do eat shellfish, make sure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.”
“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the flesh-eating storm.”
The doctor noted that Vibrio infections are rare and “should not be a major cause of alarm.”
“For up-to-date information in your state and location, always check with your state and regional health departments for updates,” Goodyear advised.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Florida Department of Public Health for comment.