An “flesh eater” germ is increasing this summer

A bacterial infection that can cause a “flesh eating” disease becomes a greater problem in the United States – and climate change is at least in part to blame.

Several states along the Gulf coast and the East coast have already reported a higher count than usual to Vibrio vulnificus cases and deaths this summer. Last week, for example, the Louisiana Ministry of Health issued a warning to residents on increased reports of V. Vulnificus. Experts argue that softer winters and warmer summers allow these bacteria to prosper more easily than before in warmer waters.

“Each sample of water that we collect along the coast now contains a kind of Vibrio. It was not true two decades ago, “said Rachel Noble, microbiologist at the University of North on Monday, at the Institute of Marine Sciences at the Northern Carolina University. The North Carolina saw 59 cases reported in cases of case of cases of case of cases of case cases of case cases V. Vulnificus And a death on July 31, according to data from the health service cited by Wral, the second highest toll of the summer observed in 5 years.

V. Vulnificus is a parent of bacteria that cause cholera in people. It is found in hot or brackish seawater and generally penetrates the body by open cuts or by consuming raw crustaceans. Wound infections can trigger a potentially fatal condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which quickly kills the skin and tissues surrounding the wound (although this disintegration looks like consumed flesh, the bacteria themselves do not feed on our skin).

Only about 150 to 200 cases of V. Vulnificus The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reported each year, but he can kill a person who catches him, sometimes in a few days. And there is growing evidence that its presence in the United States is developing and developing in the range over time. A 2023 study revealed that the cases reported in eastern United States increased from eight from 1988 to 2018, for example. Extreme weather events such as heat waves and hurricanes can also cause infection tips. Florida experienced a record summit of 82 cases last year, many of which arrived following Hurricane Helene.

Florida only saw 13 V. Vulnificus Business and four deaths so far in 2025, not far from its usual trends. However, other areas have seen an increase. 17 cases have taken place in Louisiana so far, for example, with all the hospitalized victims and four dead accordingly – well above the typical toll. During the previous decade, the State had seen on average seven cases and one death per year V. Vulnificus.

These “flesh eaten” infections will remain a rare event in the foreseeable future, but factors such as climate change and extreme weather events have and will make them more common. We must therefore be more cautious in the waters that carry these bacteria. Health organizations recommend that you avoid salt or brackish water if you wear an open cut, for example, or at least that you wear a waterproof bandage before getting into the water. You should also wash the cuts exposed to these waters or in raw fruits well. And you should ask for immediate medical care if you develop a worsening of skin infection around your cuts after these exhibitions, because necrotizing fasciitis can quickly progress and become deadly if it is not treated.