Florida reports second Vibrio vulnificus death in 2026
Florida health officials confirmed the Marion County fatality and warned that Vibrio vulnificus, found in warm coastal waters and raw shellfish, can cause severe wound and bloodstream infections.
Florida health officials have confirmed a second death this year linked to Vibrio vulnificus, a rare bacterium sometimes referred to as a “flesh-eating” infection because of its ability to cause severe wound complications and bloodstream infections in certain patients. State records show the latest fatality occurred in Marion County, according to the Florida Department of Health.