A rare flesh-eating bacteria has already killed four Florida beachgoers this year, according to The Independent. So what is it, and how can you avoid it? Florida Health has already reported 11 infections of the rare Vibrio vulnificus.
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Saltwater-Loving Bacteria Lead to 4 Deaths Of Florida Beachgoers In 2025
This type of bacteria typically lives in warm seawater, and Florida’s beaches are perfect hotspots. They will usually be able to infect you if you enter warm seawater with fresh cuts or scrapes. Not only that, but they can also enter your body through eating raw or undercooked seafood.
An infectious disease specialist from Orlando Health spoke with WESH about the odd but deadly bacteria. “There’s a lot of bacteria that just live in different areas, even in, like, waterborne spots,” said Dr. Daniel Egan. “So there’s fresh water, salt water, and this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus likes salt water.”
Vibrio vulnificus cases usually increase during hurricane season. This is because storms will bring saltwater inland, allowing the bacteria to spread more easily.
“That’s actually what we saw last year, when we were talking about like Hurricane Milton and all the flooding and debris,” Egan added. “That’s where we actually saw an uptick of cases after that time in October, mainly because of that is, that brings all the salt water more inland from all these storms.”
Luckily, it’s rare to die from Vibrio vulnificus, as you can treat it if you notice its symptoms early. Anyone infected with this bacterium will undergo symptoms such as a fever, chills, skin redness, nausea, and vomiting, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Although Vibrio vulnificus is rare, this bacterium can spread quickly. “Vibrio in particular, it likes to move very fast,” Dr. Egan said. “So, if all of a sudden, things look good, and then there’s some sudden redness that’s just spreading very quickly over a day to a few hours, that’s when you want to go to the emergency room quickly for it, because it can be that fast too.”
The health department recorded 19 deaths among 82 cases of Vibrio vulnificus in 2024. This was a hefty increase from 2023, which was 46 cases and 11 deaths.