- Florida has reported 30 cases of Vibrio vulnificus, also known as “flesh-eating” bacteria, so far this year.
- The infection is contracted by eating raw seafood or exposing open wounds to warm, brackish seawater.
- The latest case was reported in Lee County.
For the second time in a week a new case of Vibrio vulnificus, a horrifying infection also called “flesh-eating” bacteria, has been reported in Florida according to the latest data from the state Health Department.
The new case was reported in Lee County, FDOH data listed on Oct. 16, bringing the yearly total to 30.
That includes one case in Miami-Dade that was listed as recently as September. Currently, the row for that county is missing from the FDOH chart. The FDOH has not responded to questioning about the missing county.
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterial infection found in warm and brackish seawater or floodwaters. The most common way to contract it is by eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially raw oysters, but you also can get it by exposing open cuts or wounds to the water.
An infection is actually fairly rare, but the results can be grisly and even fatal. Once it takes hold, the skin and soft tissue around the victim’s wound can rapidly break down (hence the nickname). Treatment may require limb amputation to stop the rapid flesh deterioration even if it’s caught in time.
Five people have reportedly died after contracting the “flesh-eating” bacteria so far this year. The deaths occurred in Bay County, Broward County, Hillsborough County and St. John’s County, according to FDOH data.
How many people have died from flesh-eating bacteria in Florida?
According to the Florida Department of Health, five people have died so far in 2025, as of Thursday, Oct. 16:
- Bay County: 2
- Broward County: 1
- Hillsborough County: 1
- St. Johns: 1
Between 2008 and 2025, 179 people in Florida have died from Vibrio vulnificus, according to FDOH records.
Where have flesh-eating bacteria cases been reported in Florida?
According to the FDOH, 29 cases have been reported so far in 2025, as of Thursday, Oct. 16:
- Bay County: 2
- Broward County: 3
- Citrus County: 1
- Collier County: 2
- Duval County: 1
- Escambia County: 3
- Flagler County: 1
- Hernando County: 1
- Hillsborough County: 2
- Lee County: 2
- Manatee County: 1
- Martin County: 1
- Miami-Dade County: 1 (county not currently included in list)
- Okaloosa County: 1
- St. Johns County: 2
- Santa Rosa County: 2
- Volusia County: 1
- Walton County: 1
- Washington County: 1
The FDOH does not specify the sources or dates of cases, but one of the three Escambia County cases this year was Genevieve Gallagher, a Pensacola woman who contracted the infection after swimming with her daughter in Santa Rosa Sound off Pensacola Beach on July 27. Gallagher was kept intubated for nearly a week while doctors removed much of the tissue from her left leg below the knee.
“They debrided my leg down to the bare meat,” Gallagher said in an interview from her hospital bed. “They took most of the muscle, almost down to the bone, basically. It went up almost to my knee, so it’s a pretty large amount, and it’s all the way around my leg.”
In East Naples, 88-year-old retired U.S. Coast Guard pilot Albert Allison was infected in August and moved to a rehabilitation center after being hospitalized and treated with three antibiotics.
“I thought I was going to die,” he said of the pain that flared up. “It looks like I’m going to make it.”
What’s the record for Vibrio vulnificus cases in Florida?
Florida saw a record 82 Vibrio vulnificus cases and 19 deaths in 2024, most of them after October when large areas of the state were flooded by back-to-back storms, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Between 2014 and 2024, Florida averaged about 48 cases and 11 deaths per year, according to FDOH data. If you discount 2022 (when cases were higher due to flooding from Hurricane Ian) and 2024 (when cases surged after Hurricane Helene), the state averaged about 41 cases and 9 deaths per year.
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).
What is Vibrio vulnificus? Why is it called the ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria?
The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria thrives in warm brackish water, which is created when freshwater from a river or lake meets the salty water of the sea.
Infections are rare, but they can result in tissue damage, spreading blisters, low blood pressure, fever, organ damage, sepsis and death.
Vibrio vulnificus is often called “flesh-eating” because infections can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that destroys muscle and skin tissue. Without treatment, death can occur in just a few days.
People with compromised immune systems, liver disease or open wounds are at higher risk for Vibrio vulnificus, the FDOH said.
What are the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus or ‘flesh-eating bacteria’?
Symptoms of a Vibrio vulnificus infection begin suddenly and quickly, usually less than 24 hours after exposure, according to the CDC.
Common symptoms may include fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, stomach cramping and nausea, vomiting, blistering skin lesions, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, and discharge (leaking fluids) near open areas of the skin.
If you experience these symptoms after eating raw seafood or being exposed to floodwaters, seek medical attention immediately. 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.
“Many people with Vibrio 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.”
How can I avoid contracting Vibrio vulnificus?
According to the FDOH and CDC, when eating seafood:
- Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
- Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
- 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. Don’t eat shellfish that doesn’t open during cooking.
- Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood. Wear protective clothing like gloves when handling raw shellfish.
If you are swimming:
- Wear foot protection to prevent cuts from rocks and shells on the beach, especially if you are immunocompromised (chronic liver disease, kidney disease or weakened immune system, etc.)
- 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.
