India, July 30 -- Florida has reported the first death of the year in both the state and the U.S. linked to Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium often called 'flesh-eating bacteria.'
The Florida Department of Health said the person who died was between 80 and 84 years old and died in Palm Beach County in June.
The bacteria naturally live in warm coastal and brackish waters. People can become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters, or when an open cut or wound comes into contact with contaminated seawater.
So far this year, Florida has recorded 11 cases of Vibrio vulnificus. In 2025, the state reported 33 cases and five deaths. Health officials say infections are most common from June to September, when more people ...