Symptoms of flesh-eating bacteria that's killed 4 people in Florida as health officials issue warning

A flesh-eating bacteria known as vibrio vulunificus has claimed the lives of four people.

The deceased were Florida residents based in the counties of Bay, Broward, Hillsborough, and St. Johns, while seven others are said to have fallen unwell with the same illness.

As per CBS, there has been 11 confirmed deaths related to vibrio vulunificus in 2025. Infection rates were particularly high last year with a reported 82 cases and 19 deaths.

Florida alone has seen 448 cases since 2016, 100 of which have resulted in the patient dying.

With the number of cases increasing in recent years, health officials have been forced to issue a warning.

What is vibrio vulunificus?

Florida beach-goers are being warned about Vibrio vulnificus (Getty Stock Image)

Vibrio are naturally occurring bacteria in warm, brackish seawater — a type of water with a salt content between that of freshwater and saltwater.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you're most likely to encounter the bacteria on the coast.

You can end up contracting vibrio infections if you ingest such water or if it gets into an open wound.

The most common types of vibrio found in America are: vibrio parahaemolyticus, vibrio vulnificus, and vibrio alginolyticus.

What have health officials said?

The CDC says that 1 in 5 people with the bacterial infection die (Getty Stock Image)

The Florida Health Department has warned that those who are immunocompromised should be extra cautious when it comes to vibrio vulunificus.

"Water and wounds do not mix. Do not enter the water if you have fresh cuts or scrapes," its website states.

"Individuals who are immunocompromised, e.g chronic liver disease, kidney disease, or weakened immune system, should wear proper foot protection to prevent cuts and injury caused by rocks and shells on the beach," the health department further warns.

The CDC also cautions: "Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill."

What are the symptoms of vibrio vulunificus?

Many people with the infection end up needing intensive care (Getty Stock Image)

Cleveland Clinic says that symptoms of the bacterial infection often come on suddenly and usually with 24 hours of coming into contact with it.

Symptoms include fever, chills, a rash that quickly becomes swollen and painful, fluid-fill blisters on your skin, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion or altered mental state, and a fast heart rate.

Vibrio vulunificus itself does not result in a person's flesh to decay but it can go on to cause a person to develop more serious conditions like necrotizing fasciitis (also known as flesh-eating disease).

People may also develop things like sepsis or thrombocytopenia.