A Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria Is Causing Panic On Florida Beaches

The State Column, Dan Taylor | June 14, 2015

There’s a frightening bacteria lurking in the warm waters off the coast of Florida, and it has already killed two and sickened seven in 2015 — and with the summer months approaching, things are expected to get worse.

That’s because last year, Vibrio vulnificus caused 32 cases of infection in 2014, and about 85 percent of those cases happen in the summer and into the fall as beaches get ever more crowded based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as reported by Fox News.

This nasty little infection wreaks havoc on the body and can cause death. It is mostly caused by the consumption of raw shellfish and sometimes enters through open wounds in the water. Once inside, it causes things like vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sepsis, and death.

Eating raw shellfish is usually how the virus gets into the body. That is when you experience vomiting and abdominal pain as the bacteria causes problems in the digestive system, and if you’ve got symptoms, it’s time to go to the hospital right away to avoid death.

Unfortunately, eating oysters is a popular pastime for beachgoers, and since oysters are often served raw, they are a convenience vehicle for the bacteria. And the bacteria doesn’t show signs of its presence: there is no change to the appearance, odor, or taste of the oysters.

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