‘Flesh-eating’ bacteria has killed 7 people along the Gulf Coast this year
Experts warn beach-goers with open wounds or underlying health conditions to take extra precautions
Published: August 10, 2026 at 12:02 PM
ORANGE BEACH, AL – If you’re planning a beach trip this summer, doctors say there’s one more danger to know about — a rare bacteria in warm coastal waters that has already killed at least seven people along the Gulf Coast this year
Vibrio vulnificus, commonly called “flesh-eating bacteria,” thrives in warm seawater and can enter the body through open wounds or from eating raw shellfish. Two people in Florida and five in Louisiana have died from the bacteria so far this year. Nationwide, the CDC says about one in five people infected with the bacteria die from it
Summerlin Skipworth knows how quickly a day at the beach can turn dangerous. She was spending Labor Day weekend last year at Orange Beach, Alabama, when she injured her foot against rocks along the shore
“It felt like it was broken,” Skipworth said
Within a few days, the pain intensified and she went to the emergency room
“It felt like somebody poured gasoline on my foot and lit it on fire,” she said
Skipworth tested positive for Vibrio vulnificus. She said an infection was the last thing on her mind
“An infection never crossed my mind. I just knew I had pain in my foot,” she said
Skipworth required emergency surgery but was released shortly after the procedure. Doctors credit her recovery to early detection
“I’m just thankful to be here,” she said
Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says climate change is pushing the bacteria into new territory
“With every year now, because of climate change, we’re seeing it higher and higher, more northerly latitudes,” Dr. Hotez said
He says people with underlying health conditions face the greatest risk and should take extra precautions before heading to the water
“If you have those risk factors, and if you have an open wound or abrasion in your skin, you do not want to go swimming in brackish waters along the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic seaboard,” Dr. Hotez said
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