A deadly Vibrio vulnificus infection is sweeping across five states along the Gulf Coast, with several dozen cases reported in Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. The rod-shaped bacterium thrives in warm, brackish waters and can be contracted through eating raw or undercooked shellfish or exposing open wounds to seawater.
Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, warns that Vibrio vulnificus has the potential to cause severe infections, including invasive soft tissue infections and bloodstream infections. The risk of life-threatening complications is higher for people who are older or immunocompromised.
Symptoms of the infection include high fever, intense pain, swelling, and redness at the wound site, as well as severe vomiting and diarrhea from eating contaminated shellfish. In rare cases, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing rapid and serious illness with symptoms such as fever, chills, dizziness, confusion, low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
To protect yourself from infection, Dr. Handel recommends steering clear of open bodies of water if you have cuts or scrapes and avoiding eating raw shellfish, especially for those who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease. If you do eat shellfish, ensure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/08/05/health/how-to-protect-yourself-against-flesh-eating-bacteria-as-deadly-infection-sweeps-5-states