A family member told Bradenton Herald that a 66-year-old Bradenton man was hospitalized and had a limb amputation after contracting a bacterial infection while wade fishing.
The Bradenton man’s brother says he has Vibrio Vulnificus. Vibrio infections can destroy skin and muscular tissue, making it called “flesh-eating bacteria”.
The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) reported the first Vibrio illness in Manatee County this year on its website on Monday.
The FDOH says warm, brackish waters host the bacteria. Rare yet deadly infections require rapid medical intervention. The bacterium can enter the body through open wounds and cause sepsis, shock, and severe flu-like symptoms, say health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe 1 in 5 persons with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two.
Florida has seen 81 Vibrio illnesses in 2024, the most in 10 years. The surrounding Pinellas County had 15 instances, three of which were fatal. Sarasota County reported two cases. Health experts blame Hurricanes Helene and Milton for the rise.
Health authorities say tainted floodwaters during hurricanes allow the germs to thrive, and inhabitants are more prone to wade in them.
The effect is temporary. State health experts informed the Bradenton Herald that Manatee County’s first case may not be storm-related.
Family says Bradenton man has flesh-eating bacteria
The Bradenton man’s brother refused to reveal the family’s name but warned of Vibrio’s hazards. He said his brother went fishing twice on Sarasota Bay’s north shore before getting sick.
Brother claimed his brother’s footwear brushed against his rear leg and damaged the skin on Nov. 3 while fishing. On Nov. 5, his brother anointed the wound and fished with higher socks.
He also claimed the victim seemed fine until Nov. 8 night, when his condition abruptly deteriorated. His family discovered him unconscious in bed with an infection.
“His leg was very much showing the reaction between his ankle and below his knee,” his brother said. “His left leg had changed color and the skin was oozing.”
His brother said physicians removed skin and muscle from the affected area at the hospital. That failed to stop the illness. He had surgery to remove his left leg above the knee.
Health Officials in Florida: Vibrio Prevention and Detection
Vibrio infections are rare but a continual risk in Florida, according to state health experts.
“Vibrio is something that we in Florida deal with year-round every single year. The same way we deal with sunshine and alligators and rattlesnakes and mosquitoes,” said FDOH communications director Jae Williams.
Williams said Vibrio infection is rare in flowing waters like Gulf beach waves.
“You’re not going to find Vibrio in the middle of the Gulf, Lake Okeechobee or a running river,” Williams said. “The environment that it thrives in is warm, shallow, stagnant, typically brackish water.”
The University of Florida says bays and estuaries, with stagnant water and lower salinity, are more likely to harbor bacteria. The FDOH reports that hurricane-contaminated floodwaters increase vibrio infections in Florida.
Open wounds let in vibrio. Health officials say bacteria can enter through minor cuts or scrapes.
“It can be simple as you knicked your face or leg shaving that morning,” Williams said. “That’s enough for that Vibrio to grow.”
Vibrio infections: How to Avoid?
Open wounds should not be exposed to warm salt or brackish water, says the FDOH. Williams advised washing exposed wounds with warm soapy water promptly.
Williams said salt water exposure causes quick flu-like symptoms in wounds, indicating Vibrio infection.
“It can be simple as you knicked your face or leg shaving that morning,” Williams said. “That’s more than enough for that Vibrio to take root.”
“Stay out of water that smells nasty and looks nasty,” Williams said. Health officials advise seeking medical attention promptly if Vibrio is detected.
“The time from when someone is infected to when they do die is around 72 hours,” Williams added. This bacteria is aggressive. Williams said it kills without regard. “If it goes untreated, you die.”
However, Williams said homeowners can rest easy because Vibrio illnesses are rare.
Williams added “very rarely do you have a single county with more than two or three cases a year”. “That’s rare in a 23-million-person state.”