Eating bacteria of flesh kill 8 in Florida while health officials warn residents

Eight deaths were reported in Florida due to a “flesh” bacterial infection, according to state health officials.

The Florida Ministry of Health 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 figures: 82 cases and 19 deaths.

The fatal bacterial epidemic infects dozens in the city district as alarm for civil servants

Louisiana also notes a number of cases higher than the average, the Department of Health reporting 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 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).

Eight deaths were reported in Florida due to a “flesh” bacterial infection, according to state health officials. (istock)

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio vulnificus is part of a larger group of Vibrio bacteria, which are in coastal waters, says the CDC.

This specific bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, can enter the open wounds when people swim.

Death confirmed by an “amoeban” of the rare and deadly brain in the south of the lake

“The warmer waters provide a ready -to -growth incubator of Vibrio,” Dr. Nathan Goodyear, integrative medicine doctor at Williams Cancer Institute in California told Fox News. “The eaten flesh bacteria are thermophilic halophiles, easily populate in hot, salty and brackish water.”

In addition, an increase in plankton flowers, which shelter vibrio bacteria, is associated with an increase in cases. Increased flood and hurricanes, as well as other natural disasters, can also distribute the environment in which the eaten flesh bacteria exist, noted Goodyear.

Vibrio vulnificus is part of a larger group of Vibrio bacteria, which are in coastal waters. (istock)

Vibrio has the potential to cause serious infections, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.

These include invasive infections on soft tissues (sometimes called “necrotizing fasciitis” or “flesh-eaten bacteria”) and infections in the bloodstream.

“People with skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness on the infection site.”

The most risky groups include elderly and immunocompromised people or have chronic liver disease, Haendel warned.

“Raw oysters and other crustaceans can also be infected with Vibrio, leading to severe gastroenteritis or food poisoning,” he told Fox News Digital.

Symptoms to monitor

Vibrio symptoms depend on the type of infection, according to Handel.

“People with skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness on the infection site, which generally occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” he told Fox News Digital.

Doctors reveal key signs of Lyme disease while the tick season intensifies through us

“Symptoms of skin infections can progress very quickly and quickly become fatal in a short time. Fortunately, these infections are rare.”

People who have eaten contaminated crustaceans will have serious vomiting and diarrhea, which can cause dehydration, warned the doctor.

This specific bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, generally lives in hot and brackish sea water and can enter the open wounds when people swim. (Photo / Wilfredo lee)

While healthy people Generally, only have light symptoms, those who are immunocompromised or who have chronic liver disease can face serious health risks.

If Vibrio vulnificus enters the bloodstream, it can cause a serious illness marked by fever, chills, septic shocks and puffed skin lesions, according to Florida Health.

Click here to obtain the Fox News app

About half of these infections in the blood circulation are fatal.

Some serious cases can cause infection called necrotizing fasciitis, that is to say when the flesh around an open wound dies, warns the CDC. This rare side effect has led to Vibrio Vulnificus described as a “flesh -eaten bacteria”.

Diagnosis and treatment

Bacterial infection is diagnosed by test crops obtained from stool, injury or blood, according to health officials.

“People with skin infections often have high fevers and intense pain, swelling and redness on the infection site, which generally occurs after an open wound is exposed to infected water,” said a doctor with Fox News Digital. (istock)

For light infections, the CDC recommends increasing the cash supply to prevent dehydration.

Those with severe or prolonged infections should receive antibiotics To improve survival rates. For people with infected injuries, surgery may be necessary to eliminate dead tissues.

Click here to register for our Health Newsletter

“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the flesh -eating storm, Goodyear told Fox News Digital.” Early surgical debridement to remove sources of infection is easily necessary. “”

About one in five people will die from the infection, sometimes in a day or two of illness, indicates the CDC.

Prevent infection

To avoid vibrio infections, experts recommend swimming in open water bodies such as the ocean, rivers and estuaries if you have open wounds.

“To avoid vibrio food poisoning, avoid eating raw crustaceans, especially if you are immunocompromised or have a chronic liver disease,” said Handel.

For more health items, visit www.foxnews.com/health

“If you eat crustaceans, make sure it has not been seated for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.”

“Antibiotics alone are not enough to calm the eating storm of flesh.”

The doctor noted that vibrio infections are rare and “should not be a major alarm cause”.

“For up -to -date information in your condition and location, always check with your State and regional health services for updates,” advised Goodyear.

Fox News Digital contacted the Florida Department of Public Health for Comments.