Overview
- Maryland health officials say dozens of people have been treated for Vibrio infections in Chesapeake Bay this summer, with the state reporting 29 confirmed cases and about 100 probable cases.
- Florida has confirmed 12 infections so far in 2026 and reported its first death of the year from Vibrio vulnificus in Palm Beach County.
- Vibrio vulnificus lives in warm, brackish seawater and infects people through open wounds or by eating raw or undercooked shellfish; severe infections can cause sepsis, tissue death, amputations, or death.
- State agencies and clinicians are urging simple precautions such as covering wounds with waterproof bandages, avoiding raw oysters, wearing gloves when handling shellfish, and seeking immediate medical care for rapid-onset symptoms.
- The rise follows the region’s seasonal pattern of higher vibriosis from May through October and echoes past spikes after storms and flooding, with Florida reporting 33 cases and five deaths in 2025 and Maryland recording 11 deaths last year.