Five additional deaths from the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus have been reported in Florida, bringing the total number of fatalities in the United States to eight. The deaths follow three earlier cases in Connecticut and New York, prompting warnings from health officials.
According to the Florida Department of Health, two deaths occurred in Hillsborough County, with single fatalities in Pasco, Polk, and Seminole counties. The bacterium naturally lives in warm, brackish seawater and requires salt to survive.
While infections are rare, the recent uptick has triggered responses from local governments. New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued guidance after a death in Suffolk County, urging residents to protect open wounds from seawater and avoid raw or undercooked shellfish if immunocompromised.
In Connecticut, three victims aged 60 to 80 died, one after consuming raw oysters from outside the state. The state's Bureau of Aquaculture noted that regular testing has never found Vibrio vulnificus in local waters.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that the bacteria can cause life-threatening wound infections, often requiring intensive care or limb amputation. About one in five infected individuals die, sometimes within days of becoming ill.
