Florida officials have shared that five people have now died in the Tampa Bay area because of a flesh-eating bacteria commonly present at beaches.
The bacteria in question is vibrio vulnificus, which Florida Health shared has a natural habitat of warm, brackish seawater because it requires salt to live. It is also said to grow more quickly in warmer months.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared that the bacterium can invade the bloodstream, causing a severe life-threatening illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, decreased blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
The CDC warns that people with weakened immune systems can have more severe infections.
The health agency also shared that some infections can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. The bacteria can also cause an infection of the skin, which may lead to ulcers or skin breakdown.
Vibrio vulnificus can also cause disease in people who eat raw or undercooked shellfish.
While infections are considered rare, health officials say those with open wounds should stay out of the water, as it increases your risk of infection.
Among the five people who have died this year from bacterial infections, two were from Hillsborough County, and one from Pasco, Polk, and Sarasota counties.
Altogether, Florida has seen 26 reported cases of vibrio vulnificus infections since January, officials shared. In 2022 there were 74 total cases and 17 deaths.
The infections cannot be transmitted from person to person, but people who are experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
The CDC warns that about one in five people die sometimes within a day or two of first becoming ill from the vibrio vulnificus infection.
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