Palm Beach County Records Florida's 1st 2026 Vibrio Death as Cases Reach 11
Updated
Updated · South Florida Sun Sentinel · Jul 24
Palm Beach County Records Florida's 1st 2026 Vibrio Death as Cases Reach 11
3 articles · Updated · South Florida Sun Sentinel · Jul 24
Summary
Florida logged its first Vibrio vulnificus death of 2026 in Palm Beach County, where two infections were reported this year—one in April and another in June.
11 confirmed cases have been recorded statewide since Jan. 1, spread across Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Lee, Marion, Okaloosa, Polk and St. Johns counties.
Vibrio vulnificus is typically contracted through raw or undercooked shellfish or when open wounds contact seawater or brackish water; state data did not specify how the fatal case was acquired.
Warmer waters from May to October raise bacterial levels, and Florida has seen spikes after storms, including after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Helene in 2024.
The bacterium is among the deadliest Vibrio strains: about 1 in 5 infected people die, while Florida recorded 19 deaths in 2024, the highest total in nine years.