The Florida Health Department has reported the state’s first death this year from Vibrio vulnificus, commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.”
The death was reported in June and involved a Palm Beach County resident who was 80 to 84 years old, according to the agency’s website. It is not known when the death occurred.
Two Vibro cases were reported in Palm Beach County this year with the most recent reported to the health department in June.
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Florida has recorded 11 cases of the disease. Since the unofficial summer recreation season began in May, there have been seven cases statewide: two in Lee, and one each in Marion, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Palm Beach and Polk.
In 2025, the state reported 33 cases with five deaths.
Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria in warm, brackish seawater. The bacteria do not actually “eat” flesh but can produce toxins that cause tissue to die. Infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulcers.
Vibrio can infect people through open wounds exposed to contaminated water or through eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters.
The health department website does not report how individuals acquired the disease.
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The infection is rare, with an estimated 100 to 200 cases in the United States each year. Florida is considered a hot spot because warm temperatures and warm coastal waters create conditions where the bacteria can thrive.
The risk is higher for people with weakened immune systems, including those with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or high levels of iron in the blood.
“A recent study showed that people with these preexisting medical conditions were 80 times more likely to develop Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections than healthy people,” the health department website informs.
Symptoms include fever, redness, pain, swelling and leaking fluids. Ingestion of the bacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
According to the health department, about half of the bloodstream infections are fatal.
