Flesh-eating bacteria tracker 2026: Cases in Florida, Alabama and Connecticut
FOX Weather • • health
Key Points:
- Florida reported its first death in 2026 from the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus in Palm Beach County, marking the first Vibrio-related death in the U.S. this year.
- Eleven additional Vibrio cases have been confirmed across Florida, with the bacteria typically found in warm, coastal waters.
- Vibrio infections can cause severe symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, fever, low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions, and about 20% of infections with Vibrio vulnificus result in death.
- The bacteria can enter through open wounds when swimming in saltwater or brackish water, or through consumption of contaminated raw shellfish.
- Alabama also reported its first vibriosis case of 2026 in Mobile County on April 24, highlighting the spread of these infections in coastal regions.
