The Florida Department of Health reports two additional Vibrio vulnificus cases in the past week from Citrus and Clay countues. No deaths were reported.
The total cases and deaths to date are 25 and 5, respectively.
Cases have been reported from 16 counties: Bay (2), Brevard, Broward (2), Citrus, Clay, Duval, Hillsborough, Lee (2), Marion (2), Miami-Dade (2), Okaloosa, Palm Beach (2), Pinellas (1), Polk (2), Santa Rosa (3) and St. Johns (1).
Vibrio vulnificus: Risk, transmission, disease and prevention
Most people get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Some people get vibriosis after an open wound comes in contact with coastal waters.
Ingestion of Vibrio vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Vibrio vulnificus can also cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater; these infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulcers.
Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time. A recent study showed that people with these pre-existing medical conditions were 80 times more likely to develop Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections than healthy people.