'Flesh-eating' bacteria: 2 cases found in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties
Vibrio vulnificusa is a naturally occurring bacterial infection found in brackish seawater. People can contract it by exposing open cuts or wounds to the water or by eating raw or undercooked seafood. The FDOH did not specify the sources of the new cases.
Four people have died from it so far in 2025, according to the Florida Department of Health. The deaths were in Bay, Broward, Hillsborough and St. Johns counties, the FDOH reported on July 11.
If the bacteria infects a person, it can cause the skin and soft tissue around a wound to quickly break down. Treatment may require limb amputation to stop the rapid flesh deterioration, and the infection can be fatal.
Last year, there were a record 82 cases and 19 deaths, most of them after October when large areas of the state were flooded by back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton. Vibrio vulnificusa requires brackish saltwater to spread.
Nationwide, vibriosis from Vibrio vulnificus and other Vibrio bacteria causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
How many people have died from flesh-eating bacteria in Florida?
According to the FDOH, four people have died so far in 2025, as of Friday, July 11:
Bay County: 1
Broward County: 1
Hillsborough County: 1
St. Johns: 1
Between 2008 and 2025, 178 people in Florida have died from Vibrio vulnificus, according to FDOH records.
How many cases of flesh-eating bacteria have been reported in Florida?
According to the FDOH, 11 cases have been reported so far in 2025, as of Friday, July 11:
Bay County: 1
Broward County: 1
Escambia County: 1
Hillsborough County: 1
Lee County: 1
Manatee County: 1
St. Johns County: 2
Santa Rosa County: 1
Walton County: 1
What is Vibrio vulnificus?
The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked seafood, saltwater, and brackish water, which is created when fresh water from a river or lake meets the salty water of the sea.
Flooding spreads brackish water into places it doesn't usually get to, and people working in floodwaters during and after storms are susceptible.
Vibrio vulnificus, while rare, can be life-threatening. Some Vibrio vulnificus infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. Without treatment, death can occur in just a few days.
People with compromised immune systems, liver disease, or open wounds are at higher risk for Vibrio vulnificus, the FDOH said.
What are the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus or 'flesh-eating bacteria'?
(WARNING, AN IMAGE BELOW MAY BE TOO GRAPHIC FOR SOME AUDIENCES)
Common symptoms of Vibrio infection may include:
Watery diarrhea, often accompanied by stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Bloodstream infection: fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
Wound infection, which may spread to the rest of the body: fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, and discharge (leaking fluids).
If you experience these symptoms after being exposed to floodwaters, seek medical attention immediately. Healthcare professionals can treat the infection with antibiotics, but in extreme cases arms and legs may need to be amputated to remove dead or infected tissue.
"Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection require intensive care or limb amputations," the CDC said on its site, "and about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill."
Does 'flesh-eating bacteria' actually eat flesh?
While colloquially known as a "flesh-eating bacteria," vibrio vulnificus technically kills flesh rather than "eats" it. Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing fasciitis that kills human tissue, including the skin and outer layer surrounding muscles, nerves, fat, blood vessels and organs.
It cannot penetrate intact skin, but must enter through an existing break in the skin.
No, but it does kill it. Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing fasciitis that kills human tissue, including the skin and outer layer surrounding muscles, nerves, fat, blood vessels and organs.
Calling it 'flesh-eating bacteria' is inaccurate, − though a common reference − because (1) it kills tissue, but does not eat it; and (2) it cannot penetrate intact skin, but must enter through an existing break in the skin.
Can you get the flesh-eating bacteria from another person?
"There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of Vibrio vulnificus," the FDOH said.
How can I avoid contracting Vibrio vulnificus?
According to the FDOH and CDC:
Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water, especially flood water, or to raw shellfish harvested from such waters. Stay out of the water, or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage.
Immediately wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water after they have contact with saltwater, brackish water, raw seafood, or its juices.
Seek immediate medical care if a wound develops redness, swelling, or oozing, or other signs of infection such as fever, increasing pain, shortness of breath, fast or high heart rate, or confusion or disorientation.
Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
Cook them thoroughly: Boil shellfish in the shell until the shells open and then for 5 more minutes, or steam them until the shells open and then for 9 more minutes. Boil shucked oysters for at least 3 minutes or fry them in oil for at least 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Do not eat shellfish that does not open during cooking.
Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood. Wear protective clothing (e.g., gloves) when handling raw shellfish.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 'Flesh-eating' bacteria in Florida cases reach 11, 4 deaths in 2025
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