More cases of mortal bacterial infection at the popular holiday destination
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According to state health officials, eight deaths have been reported in Florida due to a bacterial infection of “eating meat.”
The Florida Health Department has confirmed 13 total cases of Vibrio Vulnificus in 11 counties, as reported by local points of sale.
Last year, the State reported even higher numbers: 82 cases and 19 deaths.
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Louisiana is also seeing a recount of cases higher than the average, with the health department that reports 17 infections and four deaths so far in 2025.
The United States 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 infection occur in the states of the Gulf Coast (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas).
According to state health officials, eight deaths have been reported in Florida due to a bacterial infection of “eating meat.” (Istock)
What is vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio vulnificus is part of a broader group of Vibrio bacteria, which are found in coastal waters, according to CDCs.
This specific bacterium, vibrio vulnificus, can enter open wounds when people are swimming.
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“The warmest waters provide an incubator ready for the growth of Vibrio,” Dr. Nathan Goodyear, integrative medicine doctor at the Williams Cancer Institute in California, told News News News. “The bacteria that eat meat are thermophilic halophiles, which are easily filled in warm, salty and brackish water.”
In addition, an increase in plankton flowers, which house vibrio bacteria, is associated with greater cases. The increase in floods and hurricanes, as well as other natural disasters, can also spread the environment in which there are bacteria that eat flesh, said Goodyear.
Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria, which are found in coastal waters. (Istock)
Vibrio has the potential to cause serious infections, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases in the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.
Those include invasive soft tissue infections (sometimes called “necrotizing fasciitis” or “bacteria that eat meat”) and blood torrent infections.
“People who have skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the site of infection.”
The most risky groups include older adults and immunocompromised people or have chronic liver disease, Handel warned.
“Raw oysters and other shellfish can also be infected with vibrio, which leads to severe gastroenteritis or food intoxication,” Digital News told News.
Symptoms to take into account
Vibrio’s symptoms depend on the type of infection, according to Handel.
“People who have cutaneous infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the infection site, which usually occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” he told News Digital.
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“The symptoms of skin infections can progress very fast and rapidly that potentially mortal in a short time. Fortunately, those infections are rare.”
People who have eaten contaminated seafood will have serious vomiting and diarrhea, which can cause dehydration, the doctor warned.
This specific bacterium, vibrio vulnificus, usually lives in warm and brackish sea water, and can go into open wounds when people swim. (Photo AP/Wilfredo Lee)
While healthy people In general, they experience only mild symptoms, those who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease can face serious health risks.
If Vibrio Vulnificus enters the bloodstream, can cause a serious disease marked by fever, chills, septic shock and ampouple skin lesions, according to Florida Health.
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Approximately half of these infections of the bloodstream are fatal.
Some severe cases can cause an infection called necrotizing fasciitis, which is when meat around an open wound dies, CDC warns. This rare side effect has led Vibrio Vulnificus to be described as a “bacterium that eats meat.”
Diagnosis and treatment
Bacterial infection is diagnosed by trial crops obtained from feces, wounds or blood, according to health officials.
“People who have cutaneous infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness at the site of the infection, which usually occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” a doctor told News Digital. (Istock)
For mild infections, CDC recommends increasing fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
Those with serious or prolonged infections must Receive antibiotics To improve survival rates. For people with infected wounds, surgery may be necessary to eliminate dead tissue.
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“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the storm that eats flesh, Goodyear told News Digital.” Easy early surgical debridement is required to eliminate sources of infection. “
Around one in five people will die from infection, sometimes within a day or two of the disease, according to CDC.
Prevent infection
To prevent vibrium infections, experts recommend swimming in open water bodies such as ocean, rivers and estuaries if they have open injuries.
“To prevent food vibration poisoning, avoid eating raw shellfish, especially if it is immunocompromised or has a chronic liver disease,” Handel advised.
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“If you eat shellfish, make sure you haven’t been sitting for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.”
“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the storm of eating meat.”
The doctor said that vibrio infections are rare and “should not be an important alarm cause.”
“To obtain updated information in your state and location, always consult with your state and regional health departments to obtain updates,” said Goodyear.
News Digital communicated with the Florida Public Health Department to comment.
Melissa Rudy is a senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle in News Digital. The advice of history can be sent to melissa.rudy@News.com.