Overview
- Stony Brook University researchers reported Vibrio vulnificus in multiple Long Island estuaries, bays, and ponds, including Mecox Bay, Sagaponack Pond, and Georgica Pond.
- The same review found harmful algal blooms in East Quogue and led to shellfish closures at Town Creek, Jockey Creek, and Goose Creek because of saxitoxin.
- Health officials warn that V. vulnificus can enter through small cuts or raw shellfish and can be fatal within days, with the highest risk in people with liver disease, weak immunity, diabetes, or advanced age.
- Across the U.S., the CDC tracks about 80,000 Vibrio infections and about 100 deaths each year, with risk peaking from May to October as waters warm.
- A University of Maryland model under development pairs case reports with satellite data to predict county-level vibriosis risk a month ahead and flagged over 80% of Florida cases after the 2024 hurricanes.