Florida is grappling with an explosion of flesh-eating bacteria after being battered by back-to-back hurricanes in recent weeks, with cases spiking to never-before-seen levels.
The warm floodwaters left by Hurricanes Helene and Milton provide a perfect breeding ground for all manner of nasty bacteria that can sicken humans, including Vibrio vulnificus, a form of flesh-eating bacteria that has already claimed 13 lives statewide in 2024, according to Florida health officials.
Seventy-six cases of Vibrio vulnificus have so far been reported in the state this year, already passing the 74 cases detected in 2022 after Hurricane Ian and other major storms walloped the state.
The Florida Department of Health urged residents to avoid coming into contact with floodwaters ahead of the recent storms that battered the west coast of the Sunshine State, warning that those with open wounds are particularly susceptible to bacteria like Vibrio…