Florida health officials confirmed a fourth resident has died from Vibrio vulnificus this year, following an infection reported in Broward County. The flesh-eating bacteria, which thrives in warm coastal waters and is frequently contracted through raw oysters or open wounds, carries a mortality rate of roughly 50 percent for bloodstream infections.
Rising Toll Across Florida and the Gulf Coast
State health authorities confirmed that a Broward County resident between the ages of 75 and 79 is the latest victim of the deadly flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus. Previous fatalities this year involved residents from Bay, Palm Beach, and Marion counties, according to state health department data.
Florida has recorded 21 total cases of the infection so far this year. Neighboring states along the Gulf Coast are also tracking elevated case counts and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 15 cases and six deaths, with 14 of those instances tied directly to wound or seawater exposure. Meanwhile, Texas averages 33 cases annually, and Mississippi tracked three cases through August.
How the Infection Spreads and Escalates
Most people get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters,
state health officials noted in public advisories. Because the bacteria concentrate inside filter-feeding shellfish, raw consumption poses a significant transmission route, particularly during the warmer months when water temperatures rise.
The pathogen also enters the body through open cuts, scrapes exposed to brackish or coastal seawater. Once inside the body, the bacteria can cause rapid tissue death. Health officials warn that bloodstream infections carry a mortality rate of roughly 50 percent.
Individuals with compromised immune systems face heightened dangers. A recent study showed that people with these pre-existing medical conditions were 80 times more likely to develop Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections than healthy people,
health officials explained in updated guidance.
Severe Symptoms and Patient Ordeals
For those who contract the bacteria through open wounds, symptoms typically include fever, swelling, discharge, and blistering skin lesions. Ingestion mimics severe food poisoning, bringing watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Bloodstream infections trigger dangerously low blood pressure and septic shock.
For survivors, the onset is notoriously fast and brutal. Palm Beach resident Andy Stough contracted the bacteria in March 2026 while landscaping near the Intracoastal Waterway when cuts on his hands became infected. Within three days, his arms transformed into what looked like large blood blisters.
“I was one day away from having my arms amputated and another day away from possible death.”
Andy Stough, Vibrio survivor, via Yahoo
Stough spent 101 days in the hospital, including five days in a coma and a month in the intensive care unit.
Environmental Factors and Extreme Weather
Climate conditions and severe weather events play a direct role in the proliferation of the bacteria. Record ocean temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico over recent years have created conducive environments for the pathogen to thrive.
Furthermore, state officials attribute past spikes in cases to severe storms and hurricanes that cause widespread flooding. Hurricanes Helene and Ian left standing, brackish floodwaters across multiple counties, increasing public exposure risks as residents waded through inundated neighborhoods.