PANAMA CITY — Two people have now died this year in Bay County from a “flesh-eating” bacteria.
According to past reports, a 78-year-old man visiting St. George Island in Franklin County died at a Bay County hospital on Aug. 4 after contracting vibrio vulnificus. Here’s what we know about the incident:
What is vibrio vulnificus?
While many reports refer to the bacteria as “flesh-eating,” officials the Center for Disease Control and Prevention note this is not necessarily true, since the germ doesn’t actually eat flesh.
The bacteria instead can sometimes cause necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection where flesh around a wound dies, leading to the appearance of it being “flesh-eating.”
Vibrio thrives in warm brackish seawater and cases are known to spring up between May and October. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 80,000 yearly cases of the vibriosis in the United States, with 52,000 coming from eating contaminated seafood.
Most vibrio infections lead to mild gastroenteritis. Vibrio vulnificus is the variant with the high mortality rate tracked by the Florida Department of Health.
Wound and bloodstream infections of vibrio vulnificus have the severe symptoms, with the bacteria killing one in five people who are infected. Those with pre-existing conditions or recent surgeries are most at risk.
How many vibrio vulnificus deaths, cases this year?
The Aug. 4 incident marks the second death in Bay County this year from vibrio vulnificus. It also was the Florida’s fifth death related to the bacteria this year.
So far in 2025, 16 people have contracted vibrio vulnificus across the state. In just Northwest Florida, there was one case in Okaloosa County, one case in Walton County, and two cases in Escambia County.
How are most cases contracted?
When infections do occur, they typically come from eating raw seafood infected with the virus, or entering water with an open wound. Exposing a wound to raw seafood, such as when shucking an oyster, can also cause an infection.
Sanitary sewer overflows, leaky septic tanks, heavy rains, and disturbance of underwater sediment are also linked to higher concentrations of vibrio vulnificus.
Rising surface water temperatures from climate change also might allow the bacteria to become more prevalent in colder climates. Cases have been found as far north as New York and Connecticut.
Vibrio vulnificus thrives in water temperatures between 68 and 95, but can grow in temperatures up to 105, according to the FDOH.