Key Takeaways

Vibrio, often referred to as “flesh-eating bacteria,” has gotten a lot of attention recently following reports of a California woman whose limbs were amputated after getting a bacterial infection from undercooked tilapia.

Although health officials later said thewoman didn’t test positive forVibrio, this bacteria is estimated to 80,000 infections in the United States every year. More than half of these cases are linked to contaminated seafood, likeraw oysters, but swimming with an open wound in the ocean or brackish water could also lead to an infection.

New piercings, fresh tattoos, and surgical incisions also count as “wounds” in this scenario.

Vibriobacteria don’t always cause serious vibriosis infections. Many cases are mild and include a few days of watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.

One species ofVibrio,Vibrio vulnificus, can cause more serious symptoms, especially for people with liver disease, diabetes, or those who take immune-suppressing medications.

What Is Vibriosis?

Necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh-eating disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The agencyissued a health advisoryearlier this month to inform healthcare providers about an increasing number of fatalVibrio vulnificusinfections.

“Although several severe infections have been reported recently, infections withVibrio vulnificusare fortunately still relatively rare,” Sullivan said.

Only 150–200Vibrio vulnificusinfections are reported each year, but as many as one in five people with this infection die, sometimes within a couple of days.

Vibrio Bacteria Thrive in Warmer Waters

Vibriobacteria are found in warm coastal waters, and 80% of infections happen between May and October when water temperatures are at their peak.

Historically, mostVibriocases in the U.S. were seen around the Gulf Coast states, but infections are becoming more common in other parts of the country, including in New York, North Carolina, and Connecticut.

“Climate change is heating up our oceans. This is turning coastal waters into a petri dish for bacteria likeVibrio,”Vishnu Laalitha Surapaneni, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, told Verywell in an email.

“In addition, during climate-fueled hurricanes, salt water pushes inland. So, people are at increased risk of catching this infection through drinking contaminated water or cuts in their skin when wading through flood waters,” Surapaneni said.

What Is Food Poisoning?

How Can You Protect Yourself?

The main ways to protect yourself from vibriosis are to avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish and to keep open wounds out of salt or brackish water.

“Generally, the risk of contractingVibrio vulnificusis very low. And for those who do contract it, the risk of serious infection is generally low, except for those who have serious risk factors,”Paul Allyn, MD, an infectious disease specialist with UCLA Health, told Verywell.

Juice from raw seafood that drips into a wound can also cause aVibrioinfection, so the CDC recommends washing your hands and any open wounds after being exposed to raw seafood.

People who are immunocompromisedmay also want to wear waterproof shoes to the beach to prevent scrapes from rocks and shells that could create an open wound.

“I think it’s helpful for people to just know that it’s out there and to be cautious. If they have significant risk factors, be cautious. If they have an open wound, be cautious about consuming raw shellfish,” Allyn said.

This Test Could Help You Check Your Food for Salmonella

What This Means For YouSeriousVibrio vulnificusinfections are rare, but can be life-threatening. To protect yourself, avoid eating raw shellfish or undercooked seafood or swimming in the ocean with an open wound.

What This Means For You

SeriousVibrio vulnificusinfections are rare, but can be life-threatening. To protect yourself, avoid eating raw shellfish or undercooked seafood or swimming in the ocean with an open wound.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: questions and answers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: prevention tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: people at risk.Centers for Disease Control.Necrotizing fasciitis: all you need to know.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SevereVibrio vulnificusinfections in the United States associated with warming coastal waters.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Climate change projected to increase costs of U.S.Vibrioinfections.Florida Department of Health.Vibrio vulnificus.

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: questions and answers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: prevention tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: people at risk.Centers for Disease Control.Necrotizing fasciitis: all you need to know.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SevereVibrio vulnificusinfections in the United States associated with warming coastal waters.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Climate change projected to increase costs of U.S.Vibrioinfections.Florida Department of Health.Vibrio vulnificus.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: questions and answers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: prevention tips.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: people at risk.Centers for Disease Control.Necrotizing fasciitis: all you need to know.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SevereVibrio vulnificusinfections in the United States associated with warming coastal waters.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Climate change projected to increase costs of U.S.Vibrioinfections.Florida Department of Health.Vibrio vulnificus.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: questions and answers.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: prevention tips.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: symptoms.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vibriospecies causing vibriosis: people at risk.

Centers for Disease Control.Necrotizing fasciitis: all you need to know.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SevereVibrio vulnificusinfections in the United States associated with warming coastal waters.

U.S. Department of Agriculture.Climate change projected to increase costs of U.S.Vibrioinfections.

Florida Department of Health.Vibrio vulnificus.

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