A new case of a flesh-eating and potentially deadly bacteria has been confirmed in Florida.
A resident in Escambia County contracted vibrio vulnificus, a potentially fatal bacteria commonly found in warm, salty or brackish Florida waters, according to the Pensacola News-Journal.
It’s the second case in Escambia County this year and the sixth since 2014, the News-Journal reported.
One Escambia County resident died of the infection in 2015.
People with open wounds or weakened immune systems are more susceptible to vibrio vulnificus.
The infections are rare, and most cases are contracted from May to October, according to the News-Journal.
The infection begins as redness and swelling that progresses across the rest of the body and can cause a potentially life-threatening illness that includes fever, a decrease in blood pressure and blistering skin lesions, the News-Journal reported.
The Florida Department of Health says that vibrio vulnificus is fatal 40 percent of the time.
Read more at the Pensacola News-Journal.
Cox Media Group
