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Flesh-eating Bacteria Are Becoming More Pervasive—here's Why

After scratching his leg on a boat trailer in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi a 77-year-old man died on July 21, 2025. The culprit behind the tragic progression of what seemed like a routine wound was an infection on his scratched leg, caused by bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. He's one of several whose infection has recently made headlines.

The bacteria cause rapidly spreading skin blisters, which damage tissue and can quickly lead to sepsis, amputation, and even death. About 150 to 200 of these serious but rare infections occur in the U.S. Annually, and one in five will die within just a few days of becoming infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Better known as flesh-eating bacteria, V. Vulnificus thrives in warm, brackish waters, where salt water and fresh water meet.

Cases used to occur primarily in southern waters along the Gulf coasts of Louisiana and Florida but are now being documented as far north as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Along both the Gulf and East coasts, documented infections have increased eightfold in the past 30 years.

"It's the most expensive waterborne disease in the U.S. Because it leads to amputation and death and medical treatment is always difficult," says Jan Carlo Semenza, an epidemiologist at Umeå University in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2023, he authored a paper in The New England Journal of Medicine that highlighted the link between warmer temperatures and two species of Vibrio, the bacteria leptospira, and a parasite called cryptosporidium.

Semenza's paper is part of a growing body of research showing how some water-dwelling pathogens are becoming more common and spreading to new reaches as global temperatures rise. Scientists also suspect that hotter temperatures are changing our risk exposure, creating a greater demand for air conditioning and more time spent in risky bodies of water.

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Not only are waterborne diseases like Vibrio finding more hospitable environments, but they are also infecting a population that's increasingly immunocompromised from chronic disease and less able to fight off infection, says John Sinnott, chairman of internal medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and former director of the Florida Infectious Disease Institute.

Diabetes, for example, causes slow-healing wounds that are more vulnerable to infection. And those with chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer are also more susceptible to severe respiratory infections caused by the waterborne pathogen responsible for Legionnaires' disease.

"These infections are rare but the fear from our side is that if water temperatures continue to rise, they'll become more and more common," says Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Regional Medical Center, in Florida.

Fort Myers Beach, Florida seen on October 1, 2022 after it was struck by Hurricane Ian. In the storm's aftermath, there was a steep rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus, with 28 cases and seven deaths in Florida, state data show.

Photograph by Johnny Milano, The New York Times/Redux

Why do infections increase with warmer temperatures?

Over the past three decades, sea surface temperatures have risen dramatically and in 2024 the average global sea surface temperature was the highest on record, an increase linked to greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

"There's a direct relationship between an increase in sea surface temperature and an increase in cases," says Semenza.

He's particularly concerned with Vibrio bacteria that live in brackish waters where warm temperatures, moderate salinity, and nutrients in the water help bacteria replicate particularly fast. Brackish waters are also ideal habitat for shellfish like oysters, which can be infected with the bacteria and are a frequent culprit behind human infections.

While the bacteria are always present, a higher density of Vibrio in the water makes infection more likely. Their optimal temperatures range between 68°F and 95°F and as summer temperatures extend into the fall, the bacteria is able to thrive for longer. A report published in May of last year by the research group Climate Central found that, on average, cities around the world experienced an additional month of extremely hot days.

In addition to creating optimal conditions for bacteria to multiply, Semenza worries that more hot days will also drive people to spend time in water.

People flock to Coney Island in Brooklyn during a heatwave that hit on July 30, 2025 in New York City. As temperatures stay hotter for longer, experts say it extends the window for exposure to certain diseases.

Photograph by Spencer Platt, Getty Images

Prolonged hot temperatures can also shrink bodies of water, increasing the density of bacteria in the water that remains, says Semenza.

Several more commonly found species of Vibrio bacteria like Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus, are also being detected more frequently, causing symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal issues to fever and the skin infection cellulitis.

While Vibrio bacteria are common in brackish water along the coast, fresh water can also harbor grisly microbes.

Though it's exceedingly rare, with only around ten cases annually in the U.S., exposure to the amoeba Naegleria fowleri is nearly always fatal.

Some Diseases Impact South Dakota Corn And Soybeans As Producers Prepare For Harvest

BROOKINGS, S.D. — This year, the soybean and corn crops in eastern South Dakota got an early start with a good spring, said Peter Kovacs, cropping system agronomist at South Dakota State University.

"We had ample moisture and in some places probably even too much than what we could wish for so that water and moisture supply was plenty," Kovacs said. "We were a little bit on the cooler side during the season, so that slowed a little bit of the crop development and caused a little bit of the challenges of controlling the weeds."

But, the cooler temperatures and the moister conditions set up the soybeans for good flowering and pod setting conditions.

"We can see a really good pod numbers as we look at some of the soybeans, which we are starting to see reaching to that full pod stage," Kovacs said.

Peter Kovacs, cropping system agronomist at South Dakota State University

Ariana Schumacher / Agweek

Some of the leaves in the soybeans are starting to turn, meaning we are getting closer to harvest season.

"Probably the warmer weather this weekend and early next week will help on that maturation process for getting ready for harvest," Kovacs said.

There are some issues with weeds in the soybeans because mostly due to the fact that the crops didn't grow fast enough, Kovacs explained.

"So, the canopy closure was a little bit slower," he said. "And the wet conditions also helped to emerge some of the weeds."

Farmers are seeing good pod numbers on soybeans in eastern South Dakota.

Ariana Schumacher / Agweek

Pests haven't big a big problem in the soybeans this year.

"What I am hearing from my colleagues is that it was relatively a quiet year, and that's kind of what I've noticed when we were looking around in our research plots as well," Kovacs said. "I wouldn't necessarily worry about, in general, for a major yield impact. Having said that, probably there are some spots where it could impact some cases."

Across eastern South Dakota, soybeans are at the R5 and R6 stages of growth. Shyam Solanki, plant pathologist at South Dakota State University, said at this point in growth, they are seeing a lot of stem disease happening.

Shyam Solanki, plant pathologist at South Dakota State University

Ariana Schumacher / Agweek

"We have seen a lot more of white mold, which is one of the most important and problematic in South Dakota, as well as in the upper Midwest soybean growing regions," Solanki said.

White mold begins as a cotton-like fluffy growth on the soybean plant.

"You see quite a bit of stem bleaching and then the stem tends to be a grayish color and then they just fall down," Solanki explained.

White mold on soybeans

Ariana Schumacher / Agweek

Solanki has scouted between 10 to 15 different counties across South Dakota and has noticed white mold in the soybeans, specifically in Charles-Mix, Brookings and Deuel counties as well as over in the Aberdeen area.

"I have not seen too much disease progression. It may be depending upon the weather conditions we have. We have seen quite a bit of rain spells, which is good for disease. But, it's not that warm and humid, which pathogens may be liking. In some places, you might see a lot more diseases," Solanki said. "If farmers see white mold in the fields, they can always send an email and tell us about it."

White mold on soybeans in a field.

Contributed / Shyam Solanki

This year, soybeans have been experiencing more sudden death syndrome and brown stem rot compared to last year.

"These diseases are basically seen on the stem as well as on the leaf," Solanki said.

Brown stem rot causes the leaves to be discolored and can be found by cutting open the stem. Inside it has browning occurring. Sudden death syndrome has a similar leaf appearance to brown stem rot, but it will not be brown inside the stem, Solanki explained.

Brown stem rot on soybeans.

Contributed / Shyam Solanki

Solanki said most of the fields are looking pretty good, even with the rainfall, because a lot of farmers applied the correct fungicides at the correct stages of production.

There have been many bacterial diseases in the crops because of the frequent rain spells.

"Many fungicides which are applied against diseases, they do not work on bacterial diseases," Solanki said. "Farmers should be keeping aware about these diseases as well."

When it comes to corn, growth was good due to the ideal weather conditions, Kovacs said.

"We had a really good growth. Most of our corn is starting to get into the denting stage at various levels of grain filling, and it's expecting a really good crop yield where we have a standing crop," Kovacs said.

There were quite a few wind storms in eastern South Dakota during the second half of summer, causing some challenges to the corn fields in those areas.

When it comes to diseases, Solanki says he has seen quite bit of rust on the plants, both Common Rust and Southern Rust. Common Rust appears as a red or purple like color pustules and is not very problematic, Solanki said.

Southern Rust has been a common issue this year and appears as more of a brownish color pustules on the upper side of the leaf and is more problematic.

"If you have done fungicide applications, great. If you have not done it this year, it's already late in my opinion," Solanki said. "But, keep remembering that the rust can be a very devastating disease so keep the right fungicides applied to the right stage of corn."

Corn leaf with a mix of common rust and southern rust.

Contributed / Shyam Solanki

Solanki has been doing a lot of research on plant diseases in both soybeans and corn, thanks to funding from the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

Kovacs expects that harvest season will begin on time this year, or possibly even a little earlier than normal.

Bacteria That Can Cause Rare "flesh-eating" Disease Infect Swimmer At Cape Cod Beach

Cape Cod health officials say a person who swam at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth has contracted a rare but potentially life-threatening infection from bacteria that can cause a "flesh-eating" illness.

The Falmouth Health Department said an older adult has a confirmed case of Vibrio vulnificus after swimming at the Buzzards Bay beach with an exposed wound. The agency said the bacterium is "extremely uncommon in Massachusetts" and the beach remains open for swimming.

"Cape Cod's beaches are an important part of our economy, culture, and community," Falmouth health agent Scott McGann said in a statement. "By taking a few simple precautions, residents and visitors, and particularly anyone who is vulnerable or immunocompromised, can continue to enjoy them safely."

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Wednesday issued an alert about "the potential danger of Vibrio bacteria in coastal waters."

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

The Centers for Disease Control says Vibrio vulnificus is a type of bacteria that lives in warm water and can cause necrotizing fasciitis, also known as "flesh-eating disease."

"What's striking about this, and the reason that it's a public health alert, is this particular bacteria is not typically seen in this area and it's important for people who are at high risk to understand that the risk might actually be a little elevated right now," Dr. Shira Doron, the chief infection control officer with Tufts Medicine, told WBZ-TV.

Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, Massachusetts. CBS Boston

The CBS Evening News reported just this week that cases are increasing as ocean temperatures rise. Most infections have been seen in Southeast states like Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina, but there have been cases reported in Connecticut and New York.

DPH said there have been seven confirmed cases of Vibrio vulnificus among Massachusetts residents in recent years, including four that were likely contracted in the state.

"It is rare," Dr. Doron said. "We do sometimes see these cases in the hospital, but most of the cases that we see are people who just returned from or traveled to the Gulf Coast area and were swimming there."

Symptoms include fever, redness, pain, swelling and warmth in the wound area, as well as discoloration and discharge.

"Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation," the CDC says. "About 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill."

Most Vibrio vulnificus infections come from eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. The Falmouth Health Department said there have not been any cases of the disease tied to eating oysters or shellfish harvested from Massachusetts.

Taking precautions

There is no way to test the water for Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. Falmouth authorities stressed that healthy people have a low risk of severe illness, but people with liver disease, diabetes, weakened immune systems or other chronic conditions should take precautions in the water.

DPH said in a social media post that swimmers with any kind of open wound should avoid salt water or brackish water, which is a mix of salt and fresh water. If they do go in the water, they should cover the wound with a waterproof bandage.

"By wound I don't mean it has to be some big giant gaping hole in your skin," Dr. Doron said. "It can really actually just be a cut or a scrape."

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