ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

At least 13 cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacteria, have been confirmed in Florida this year, the Florida Department of Health told CBS News Miami partner el Nuevo Herald. Eight people have perished from the infection.

Eight cases were tied to wound exposure, officials said, but warned that the infections can be "sporadic and unrelated to an outbreak."

Louisiana has also reported an outbreak of Vibrio vulnificus, with 17 cases recorded in 2025.

The latest cases come after a year of high infection rates, with 2024 seeing 18 infections and 19 deaths - the highest number recorded yet.

Health officials tied the rise in cases to the natural disasters plaguing Florida, such as those from Hurricane Helene last year. The weather can push coastal waters inland, increasing the risk of infection.

Jewell Baggett, 51, sits on a bathtub amid the wreckage of the home built by her grandfather, where she grew up and three generations of her family lived, and which Hurricane Idalia had reduced to rubble, in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023.
Jewell Baggett, 51, sits on a bathtub amid the wreckage of the home built by her grandfather, where she grew up and three generations of her family lived, and which Hurricane Idalia had reduced to rubble, in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Cheney Orr)

Signs and symptoms of flesh-eating bacterial infection

The particular strain of bacteria is found in saltwater and brackish water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such an infection can lead to severe illness or cause death within a day or two.

Those with the infection may experience diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.

Health officials recommend ensuring seafood is cooked to proper temperatures before eating, washing their hands after handling raw seafood, and properly sanitizing wounds to avoid infection.