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Flesh-eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself - theconversation.com
By Bill Sullivan8/11/20261 min read
Warmer ocean waters are fueling the spread of the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Infections can lead to a rare but fatal condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
✨ Key Highlights
- Vibrio vulnificus, a "flesh-eating" bacteria that thrives in warm seawater, is increasingly threatening beachgoers and raw shellfish consumers in the U.S. and abroad, according to a report published August 11, 2026.
- Recent case counts include nine infections and five deaths in Louisiana, 14 cases and two deaths in Florida, and 72 cases reported in Maryland as of late June.
- The bacteria can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a rare condition in which toxins destroy underlying muscle, nerve and blood vessel tissue, and can turn fatal within 48 hours if untreated.
- Although the U.S. sees only 150 to 200 Vibrio vulnificus infections each year, the mortality rate is high, with roughly one in five people dying from the infection, and cases have also risen in Europe.
- Group A Streptococcus is the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis, but the CDC identifies Vibrio vulnificus as an additional culprit, with rising global temperatures from climate change likely driving the spread.
- The bacteria live in warm and brackish water, with most U.S. infections occurring between May and October; people can be infected through open wounds while swimming, fishing or wading, or by eating raw or undercooked shellfish such as oysters.
Flesh-eating bacteria sounds like the premise of a bad horror movie, but its a growing and potentially fatal threat to people in the U.S. and beyond.
Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacter