Five people have died so far this year from flesh-eating bacteria, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.
Flesh-eating Bacteria Thrives In Saltwater and Marsh
Five people in Florida have died from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria found in raw shellfish or seawater that also killed one Long Island resident and two people in Connecticut this summer, officials have confirmed.
The “flesh-eating” bacteria thrive in saltwater and marsh environments.
A total of 26 cases across 17 counties have been reported to the Florida Department of Health, which is fewer than the 74 reported cases and 17 deaths in 2022, according to a Department of Health tally.
Some of the cases were related to infections through open wounds, water ingestion, or in connection to raw seafood like oysters. The situation has caused some families to change their vacation menu picks.
While rare, the Vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily dangerous,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news release Thursday. The death in Long Island is still being investigated to determine if the bacteria was encountered in New York waters, the release added.
In Connecticut, three residents were known to have been infected with the bacteria, the state Department of Public Health said last month. All three victims were between the ages of 60 to 80 and the two deaths occurred in July, the department said.
These aren’t the only cases that made headlines this year. Last month, three North Carolina residents also died from the bacteria, naturally found in warm seawater and brackish water, the Associated Press reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there are 80,000 cases of vibriosis each year in the United States. Still, only 100 to 200 of those cases come from vibrio vulnificus bacteria.
Some vibrio vulnificus can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that causes the flesh around open wounds to die, leading many to call the bacteria ‘flesh-eating.’
People with weakened immune systems due to age or chronic conditions should take extra precautions near saltwater bodies and avoid eating undercooked shellfish or seafood.
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The FLORIDA Fish & Game and Governors offices and Maoys of the cities need to POST IT AT THE BEACHES and water ways and I have seen nothing. This responsibility is theirs to Get out and not ours to find out when its too late