Most of them have occurred since October, when large areas of the state were flooded by back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton. Vibrio vulnificusa requires brackish salt water to propagate.

This exceeds the 74 cases reported in 2022, when Hurricane Ian hit Florida, killing 17 people.

The new death occurred in Alachua County. New cases were reported in Alachua, Hernando and Pasco counties, although the FDOH did not say whether floodwaters were a factor. Vibrio can also be contracted by eating raw or undercooked seafood.

Vibrio vulnificusa is a naturally occurring and potentially fatal bacterial infection found in brackish waters, which storms pushed along the coast and in rivers and canals. If the bacteria infects a person, it can cause rapid breakdown of the skin and soft tissues around a wound. Treatment may require amputation of a limb to stop rapid deterioration of the flesh, and infection can be fatal.

Nationally, vibriosis caused by Vibrio vulnificus and other Vibrio bacteria causes about 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). About 52,000 of these illnesses are thought to come from eating contaminated food, but the bacteria are also often found in floodwaters, something Florida has seen a lot of lately.

Flesh-eating bacteria: origins, symptoms and horrors

Learn the signs and treatment for the rare disease “necrotizing fasciitis”.

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

According to the FDOH, 16 people have died in 2024, as of Friday November 8:

• Alachua County: 1
• Charlotte County: 1*
• Duval County: 2
• Hernando County: 1
• Hillsborough County: 2
• Palm Beach County: 2
• Pasco County: 1*
• Pinellas County: 3*
• Seminole County: 2
• Walton County: 1

Between 2008 and 2023, 155 people in Florida died from Vibrio vulnificus, according to FDOH records.

* These counties showed unusual increases due to Hurricane Helene and Milton, the FDOH said.

How many cases of flesh-eating bacteria have been reported in Florida?

According to the FDOH, 80 cases have been recorded in 2024, as of Friday November 8:

• Alachua County: 3
• Bay County: 1
• Brevard County: 5
• Broward County: 1
• Charlotte County: 4*
• Citrus County: 3*
• Clay County: 1
• Collier County: 1
• Duval County: 4
• Escambia County: 4
• Hernando: 4*
• Hillsborough: 8*
• Lee: 5*
• Leon County: 2
• Okaloosa County: 1
• Palm Beach County: 2
• Pasco County: 5*
• Pinellas County: 15*
• Santa Rosa County: 2
• Sarasota County: 2*
• Seminole County: 2
• Sumter County: 1
• Volusia County: 2
• Walton County: 2

*These counties showed unusual increases due to Hurricane Helene and Milton.said the FDOH.

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked seafood, salt water and brackish waterwhich is created when fresh water from a river or lake meets salt water from the sea.

Flooding spreads brackish water to places it doesn’t usually reach, and people working in floodwaters during and after storms are susceptible to it.

Vibrio vulnificus, although rare, it can be life-threatening. Some Vibrio vulnificus infections cause necrotizing fasciitisa serious infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. Without treatment, death can occur in just a few days.

People with weakened immune systems, liver disease or open wounds are at higher risk of Vibrio vulnificus, the FDOH said.

What are the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus or “flesh-eating bacteria”?

(BE CAREFUL, AN IMAGE BELOW MAY BE TOO GRAPHIC FOR SOME AUDIENCE)

Common symptoms of Vibrio infection may include:

• Watery diarrhea, often accompanied by stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever.
• Blood infection: fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
• Wound infection, which can spread to the rest of the body: fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, and discharge (fluid leaking).

If you experience these symptoms after being exposed to floodwaters, seek medical attention. immediately. Healthcare professionals can treat the infection with antibiotics, but in extreme cases it may be necessary to amputate the arms and legs to remove dead or infected tissue.

“Many people infected with Vibrio vulnificus require intensive care or limb amputations,” the CDC said on its website, “and about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.” .

Do “flesh-eating bacteria” actually eat flesh?

No, but it kills him. Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing fasciitis which kills human tissue, including the skin and the 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 crack in the skin.

Can you transmit flesh-eating bacteria from another person?

“There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of Vibrio vulnificus,” the FDOH said.

How can I avoid getting Vibrio vulnificus?

Video: Tips to Avoid Being Infected with Vibrio Vulnificus

Some tips to avoid being infected by the Vibrio Vulnificus bacteria.

Oscar Santiago Torres and Megan Kearney, Naples Daily News

According to the FDOH and CDC:

Eat shellfish quickly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.

Avoid exposing open wounds or skin lesions to hot salt or brackish water, especially flood waters, or raw shellfish harvested from these waters. Stay out of water or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage.

Wash wounds and cuts immediately and thoroughly with soap and water after contact with salt water, brackish water, raw seafood or their juices.

Seek immediate medical attention if a sore 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.

Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.

Cook them well: boil the shellfish in the shell until the shells open and then for another 5 minutes, or steam them until the shells open and then for 9 additional minutes. Boil shucked oysters for at least 3 minutes or fry in oil for at least 10 minutes at 375 degrees/

Do not eat shellfish that do not open when cooked.

Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and raw seafood juices. Wear protective clothing (e.g. gloves) when handling raw shellfish.