Along Florida's warm coastlines, a bacterium as old as the sea itself continues to claim lives — the fourth this year, a Broward County resident in their late seventies. Vibrio vulnificus does not announce itself; it moves through floodwaters and raw shellfish, finding its way to those whose bodies are least equipped to resist it. In an era of intensifying storms and rising coastal temperatures, what was once a rare and cautionary tale has become a recurring chapter in the human cost of living beside the sea.
Fourth Florida death from flesh-eating bacteria tied to raw oysters
Four Florida residents have died from Vibrio vulnificus infection; 21 cases reported in 2026 with severe infections causing tissue damage and potential amputation.