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Teen fights flesh-eating bacteria he got while swimming at park with siblings
WWNY • • health
Key Points:
- A 17-year-old Florida boy, Joziah Thompson, was hospitalized for a week after contracting Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous flesh-eating bacteria, from swimming at Lion’s Park in Niceville.
- The infection rapidly worsened from a minor scratch to severe leg redness and pain, requiring emergency surgery to remove infected tissue at Studer Family Children’s Hospital.
- Joziah, who has autism, is now on aggressive antibiotics but still faces risks of infection and heart complications during recovery.
- His mother is advocating for increased public awareness and monitoring of Vibrio vulnificus levels in local waters to prevent similar cases, especially in vulnerable children.
- Vibrio vulnificus infections in Florida can occur through open wounds exposed to coastal waters or by consuming raw shellfish; in 2025, 33 cases were reported with five deaths.
