HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Vibrio cases, also known as flesh-eating bacteria, are on the rise in Florida.
“We need to be aware that real infections are in our waters,” Dr. Norman Beatty, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida, and a clinical infectious disease doctor.
The bacteria is found in brackish, saltwater regions with a higher prevalence along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
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“So in the Tampa Bay area, we find Vibrio in our shallow waters and our wading waters near the bay,” said Beatty.
You can contract flesh-eating bacteria if it enters an open wound.
“It secretes toxins, and it causes the tissue to start dying, and it moves pretty rapidly,” said Beatty.
You can also get Vibrio from raw or undercooked seafood, especially raw oysters.
People who are immunocompromised or have liver disease should avoid them.
“Because the oysters can harbor the bacteria, and it gets into your gut, and then it quickly can move into the blood stream.”
The health department reports that there have been 25 Vibrio cases so far this year and five deaths.
One of those deaths was in Hillsborough County this summer.
Doctors see more cases during peak hurricane season, especially after a storm surge produced by a hurricane.
Last year, there was an unusually high spike in cases following hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Since we’re now in peak hurricane season, doctors want you to be aware of Vibrio so you can prevent infection.
Do not go into bodies of water if you have a wound, like a cut or a scrape, this is the most common way people contract the bacteria.
If you do get it, time is crucial— every hour counts. You have to act fast if you notice symptoms like pain and swelling.
“I’ve had patients where they just waited one night, they wake up the next day, and their extremity is just completely swollen, and now we’re taking some steps back,” said Beatty.
If you do react immediately, Vibrio is curable.
“With the right antibiotics, people can have a mild infectious process,” said Beatty.
He hopes to see more research to help prevent and cure this bacteria.
“There is a big need to research this. We are a team here at the University of Florida that is doing that but we also we need that support,” said Beatty.
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