
08/11/2024
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria which can cause the breakdown of skin and soft tissue, sometimes leading to amputations. According to the latest data, 77 cases and 15 deaths have been reported so far in 2024, the most recorded cases in the past decade, though it is not known how many of cases were reported since Helene and Milton. In 2022, Florida reported an unusual increase in Vibrio vulnificus infections in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
"Vibrio prefers warmer waters, and hurricanes typically occur during times when the water is warmest," says John Drake, director of the centre for the ecology of infectious diseases at the University of Georgia. "Flooding associated with hurricanes could very well lead to a redistribution of Vibrio further inland, and it goes without saying that there is increased human exposure to contaminated water when a hurricane hits."