Florida flesh-eating bacteria cases surge to new record in wake of Hurricanes Helene, Milton

Florida is grappling with an explosion of flesh-eating bacteria after being battered by back-to-back hurricanes in recent weeks, with cases spiking to never-before-seen levels.The warm floodwaters left by Hurricanes Helene and Milton provide a perfect breeding ground for all manner of nasty bacteria that can sicken humans, including Vibrio vulnificus, a form of flesh-eating bacteria that has already claimed 13 lives statewide in 2024, according to Florida health officials.Seventy-six cases of Vibrio vulnificus have so far been reported in the state this year, already passing the 74 cases detected in 2022 after Hurricane Ian and other major storms walloped the state.The Florida Department of Health urged residents to avoid coming into contact with floodwaters ahead of the recent storms that battered the west coast of the Sunshine State, warning that those with open wounds are particularly susceptible to bacteria like Vibrio.“Vibriobacteria, commonly found in warm coastal waters, can cause illness when ingested or when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water.

After heavy rainfall and flooding, the concentration of these bacteria may rise, particularly in brackish and saltwater environments,” the department said as Milton was bearing down on the state.Areas in and around Tampa Bay notched the biggest upticks in Vibrio cases after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 on Sept.26 — the strongest storm to ever impact the area.Just six Vibrio cases were reported in September ahead of the storms but jumped to 38 in the days and weeks since, according to health department data.The county-by-county breakdown of infections is as follows: Symptoms of infection can include diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, fever and vomiting, with fever, chills, skin lesions resembling blisters and dangerously low blood pressure potential for those infected via the bloodstream.About 200-250 cases of Vibrio are reported in the US each year, and abo...