4 dead, 7 sick from carnivorous bacteria in Florida

Four people died and 7 others were sick because of an increase in Vibrio Vulnificus, carnivorous bacteria, which thrive in salt water and brackish water (a mixture of salt and fresh water) and cause a state that is called vibriosis.

The Florida Ministry of Health reports that these figures have dropped from last year, in 2024 due to the effects of hurricane Helene, which led to flooding and increased contact with contaminated water, to an increase in vibriosis cases. In 2022 there was a similar increase after the hurricane Ian.

Vibrio naturally lives in coastal waters, according to the centers for the control and prevention of diseases. Most people get sick from vibrio after eating raw or boiled shellfish – especially oysters – since the bacteria concentrate in the shellfish, explains the CDC.

However, they naturally live in brackish water and cause an infection when a swimmer has an open wound – or a recent tattoo or piercing.

In the best scenario for a Vibrio infection, more sick “aqueous diarrhea, which is often accompanied by stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever”, explains the CDC.

Blood circulation and wound infections are far more difficult and cause “dangerously low” blood pressure, skin bubble and necrotizing fasciitis, which are generally known as carnivorous disease. As the CDC states, “doctors may have to amputate the legs or arms of a patient to remove dead or infected tissue.”

Peter Volpi Jr., who survived a Vibrio infection last year, which he believes that she swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, said an earlier interview with WFLA that it was “the most agonizing pain I have ever felt” – and he was bedridden for months after his infection.

According to the CDC, there are 80,000 cases of vibriosis per year, with 52,000 contaminated food being caused.

Never miss a story-Register for the free daily newsletter of people to keep the best of what people have to keep up to date with celebrities over mandatory stories of human interest.