Fourth Florida resident dies from Vibrio vulnificus infection amid rising cases
A resident of Broward County, aged between 75 and 79, died after contracting the flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, bringing the state death toll to four.
The Florida Department of Health reported a fourth death from the flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, this time involving a person aged 75 to 79 from Broward County. Authorities have not determined how the infection was acquired. Previous fatalities were linked to residents of Bay, Palm Beach and Marion counties.
In 2026, the state has logged 21 cases of the pathogen, with 2022 and 2024 seeing some of the highest case and death numbers in the past decade. The bacterium naturally inhabits warm, brackish seawater and can infect individuals who consume contaminated shellfish or have open wounds exposed to contaminated water. Bloodstream infections from Vibrio vulnificus are fatal about half the time, especially among people with weakened immune systems. Along the Gulf Coast, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi have also reported cases and deaths this year.
Why it matters
The rising fatalities highlight the serious health risk of Vibrio vulnificus in warm coastal waters.
In this story
