Flesh-Eating Bacteria Infections are on the Rise. Here’s How to Protect Yourself

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 the woman didn’t test positive for Vibrio, 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, like raw 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.

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

“In severe cases, wound infections with Vibrio vulnificus can progress to a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which is characterized by rapid spread of infection and death of infected tissue. In addition to antibiotics, necrotizing fasciitis often requires surgery and, sometimes, even amputation to control the infection,” Timothy Sullivan, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Verywell in an email.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh-eating disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency issued a health advisory earlier this month to inform healthcare providers about an increasing number of fatal Vibrio vulnificus infections.

“Although several severe infections have been reported recently, infections with Vibrio vulnificus are fortunately still relatively rare,” Sullivan said.

Only 150–200 Vibrio vulnificus infections 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

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

Historically, most Vibrio cases 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 like Vibrio,” Vishnu Laalitha Surapaneni, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, told Verywell in an email.

A report published earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said vibriosis will increase as much as 50% by 2090 compared to infection levels in 1995 if water surface temperatures continue to rise.

“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.

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 contracting Vibrio vulnificus is 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 a Vibrio infection, so the CDC recommends washing your hands and any open wounds after being exposed to raw seafood.

People who are immunocompromised may 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.