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Fourth person dead from ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria linked to eating raw oysters
The Independent • • health
Key Points:
- A fourth person has died in Florida in 2026 from Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous bacterium linked to raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters; the latest victim was a Broward County resident aged 75-79.
- Florida has reported 21 Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, with previous deaths in Bay, Palm Beach, and Marion counties; the exact cause of the latest infection remains unclear.
- Vibrio vulnificus naturally occurs in warm coastal waters and can infect individuals through open wounds or by consuming contaminated shellfish; infections rise during warmer months due to increased bacterial prevalence.
- Symptoms vary by infection route, ranging from food poisoning-like symptoms to severe wound infections that may require surgery or amputation; the bacteria are sometimes called "flesh-eating" due to tissue destruction.
- The CDC advises thorough cooking of shellfish to kill the bacteria and warns that infections can progress rapidly, with some patients dying within days despite antibiotic treatment.
