10 deaths, 45 cases of Vibrio vulnificus in Florida this year. What is the 'flesh-eating' bacteria?

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·6 min read

At least ten people in Florida have died this year from the horrifically nicknamed "flesh-eating bacteria, a fatal bacterial infection found in warm coastal waters and uncooked seafood, according to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The CDC has issued a health alert.

According to the FDOH, two people in Hillsborough County and two in Sarasota County have died from infections from the rare Vibrio vulnificus bacteria since January. Surrounding counties Charlotte, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk have seen one death each, and on the east coast one person died in Broward County and one in Duval.

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). About 52,000 of these illnesses are estimated to be the result of eating contaminated food, but the bacteria are also often found in flood waters, something Florida has seen a lot of lately.

So far, 45 cases have been reported in Florida this year.

What is Vibrio vulnificus or 'flesh-eating' bacteria?

The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked seafood, saltwater, and brackish water. It's most often caught from eating raw shellfish, especially oysters.

During warm summer months, the bacterium separates from oysters and shellfish and can infect people with open wounds through direct contact with seawater. About 80% of infections occur between May and October when water temperatures are warmer.

Infection is rare, but people who do contract it stand a very real chance of limb amputation or death if it is not treated quickly. Individuals with the greatest risk of exposure are very young children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases or weakened immune symptoms.

The tissue-killing disease has been described in medical histories since Hippocrates in the fifth century B.C.

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Does 'flesh-eating bacteria' actually eat flesh?

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 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.

“It’s not like if you touch (Vibrio vulnificus), your hand is going to melt and be eaten away,” said researcher Gabby Barbarite of the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce. “Once it's entered into an existing wound or into your digestive system, it can start to cause issues to soft tissues.”

What is brackish water?

Brackish water is created when fresh water from a river or lake meets the salty water of the sea. The FDOH warns people not to get into warm, brackish water if they have fresh cuts or scrapes because bacteria can enter the body there and cause an infection.

Vibrio vulnificus thrives in brackish water with salinity from 5-25 parts per thousand, such as the Indian River Lagoon, where it lives year-round.

Could Vibrio vulnificus live in flood waters, such as from Hurricane Idalia?

Sea water rushing up rivers and overflowing banks is an excellent way to spread Vibrio vulnificus and anyone in regions flooded by Hurricane Idalia should take extra precautions.

To date, there have been no deaths reported in the areas affected by Idalia; the Pasco County and Hillsborough deaths happened before the storm.

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.

Is Vibrio vulnificus in sargussum seaweed?

No, Despite numerous media reports in June to the contrary, scientists did not find "flesh-eating bacteria” in seaweed.

“It’s just crazy how we went from the title of our paper, ‘possible pathogens in the open ocean’ to ‘massive flesh-eating blob.’ That's not what we were saying at all,” said Tracy Mincer, lead author of the Florida Atlantic University study released May 3. “It just became this clickbait, and everybody started trying to hype it up.”

How many people in Florida have died from the flesh-eating bacteria?

Vibrio vulnificus is a rare cause of disease. Between 2008 and 2022, 144 people in Florida died from Vibrio vulnificus, according to FDOH records, with ten more so far in 2023.

Approximately 100 deaths per year across the U.S. are attributed to vibriosis from Vibrio vulnificus and other Vibrio bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

There were 74 cases and 17 deaths in Florida last year, but that was "an abnormal increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian," the FDOH said, due to storm-related sewage spills in coastal waters increasing bacteria levels.

Since 2008, the lowest number of cases was 16 in 2008 and the lowest number of deaths was 2 in 2019.

'Flesh-eating' cases on the rise: Why the record number of 'flesh-eating' bacteria cases? Health department blames Hurricane Ian

What does Vibrio vulnificus infection do to a person?

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.

"Many people withVibrio vulnificus infection require intensive care or limb amputations," the CDC said on their site, "and about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill."

What are the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificusinfection?

Signs and symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection can 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).

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.

How can I avoid contracting Vibrio vulnificus?

According to the FDOH and CDC:

  • Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.

  • 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.

  • Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.

  • 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.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Vibrio vulnificus: So-called 'flesh-eating bacteria kills 10 in Florida