Florida's first flesh-eating bacteria death of 2026

Florida health officials confirmed the state's first 2026 Vibrio vulnificus fatality, involving a Palm Beach County resident aged 80-84.

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that lives in warm, brackish coastal waters and produces toxins that kill skin and soft tissue, not literally eating flesh.

Cases have doubled since June, indicating a seasonal peak, with infections distributed across Gulf and Atlantic coasts including Hillsborough, Lee, and Miami-Dade.

People can contract the infection by eating raw or undercooked shellfish like oysters, or through open wounds exposed to contaminated water.