First Vibrio vulnificus death of 2026 reported in Palm Beach County
The Florida health department reported the first death from Vibrio vulnificus, in Palm Beach County.
Florida has reported the first death of the year caused by an infection from so-called “flesh-eating” bacterium, according to state health officials.
Vibrio vulnificus, most commonly spread through raw seafood or contact with brackish coastal water, earned its “flesh-eating” moniker from its ability to cause an infection called vibriosis that damages or “eats away” at skin and tissue. Florida records infections each year, usually resulting in a handful of deaths. Severe weather events that cause flooding, such as hurricanes Helene and Ian, have been associated with higher rates of illness and death from the bacterium.
The state has recorded 12 cases so far this season as of July 30, according to Florida Health data, and one death in Palm Beach County. It reported a total of 33 cases and five deaths in 2025.
While vibrio vulnificus infections are rare, they can quickly develop into a more serious illness, especially in people who have weakened immune systems. Serious illness and death can occur in a matter of days, and 1 in 5 people who contract the infection will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An average of 100 to 200 cases of vibriosis caused by vibrio vulnificus are reported in the United States each year, with most of them in Gulf Coast states, according to CDC data. Infections caused by other types of vibrio bacteria are more common, tallying about 80,000 cases annually.
The risk to the public remains low, but experts have advised that people in coastal areas exercise extra caution while enjoying the waning days of summer. Here’s what to know.
What is vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that causes a serious infection called vibriosis. Different types of vibrio bacteria cause different infections, with vibrio vulnificus causing the “most serious forms of vibriosis,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The potentially fatal infection can quickly result in tissue damage and spreading blisters, low blood pressure, fever, organ damage, sepsis and death.
Vibrio vulnificus is often referred to as “flesh-eating” because it can also cause necrotizing fasciitis, a bacterial infection that destroys muscle and skin tissue, causing flesh around wounds to die, according to the CDC. Vibrio vulnificus is not considered the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis in the United States, however.
The bacteria and resulting infections are rare but can be life-threatening. Without treatment, patients can die in just a few days.
How does ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria enter the body?
Vibrio vulnificus requires salt water for survival and thrives in warm, brackish water where a stream or river meets seawater, according to the CDC.
Most infections occur when contaminated water is swallowed or gets into an open wound, such as a cut or scrape. It can enter through broken skin but cannot penetrate unharmed skin.
Vibrio vulnificus can also enter your body when you eat uncooked or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. Raw oysters and other seafood, along with seawater exposure, are the most common sources of vibrio outbreaks tracked by the CDC.
Once inside the body, the infection can spread to the blood and organs, usually within a matter of hours.
Symptoms of vibrio vulnificus infection
Symptoms of a vibrio vulnificus infection begin suddenly and quickly, usually less than 24 hours after exposure, according to the CDC and the Cleveland Clinic.
Common symptoms include:
- Fever and chills
- A red, warm or swollen patch of skin or rash that spreads quickly and causes pain
- Fluid-filled blisters and skin discoloration
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Low blood pressure (often indicated by weakness, dizziness, fatigue and fainting)
- Confusion or altered mental state
- Rapid heartbeat
How to protect yourself against vibrio vulnificus
When consuming seafood, the CDC advises, you should:
- Cook seafood, including oysters, before consuming.
- Thoroughly clean surfaces that may have come in contact with raw seafood and its drippings.
- Thoroughly wash your hands after handling raw seafood. If you are at high risk, wear gloves.
When swimming, you should:
- Avoid entering salt water or brackish water if you have any open wounds. That includes recent surgical sites, fresh tattoos and piercings, and even minor cuts or scrapes.
- Cover any open wounds if you may come into contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, even if you don’t plan to be directly exposed to either. Exposure can also occur during flooding caused by storms.
- Immediately wash any area of open skin with soap and running water after contact with coastal water or raw seafood.
- If you are at increased risk (people with weakened immune systems and conditions like liver disease, diabetes and kidney failure), wear protective shoes and clothes when in or near coastal waters.
Contributing: Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY; C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida