'Flesh-eating' Seawater Bacteria Kills Tenth Person in Florida

A rare and deadly bacteria in saltwater killed 10 people so far in Florida, said officials, according to weather.

But this was the 19th overall case of Vibrio vulnificus that was reported throughout the state this year, according to the Department of Health. The bacteria in the sea are most harmful to people whose immune systems are weak and who eat raw shellfish, especially oysters, or swim in warm seawater, according to the health department.

However, the most recent victim has not been detected nor given information on how he got the disease, which led to the death in Escambia County, the report said. It leads to a skin infection that breaks down the flesh, leading to "ulcers, severe illness, septic shock and, in some cases, death".

Vibrio vulnificus' multiples with warmer weathers as it warms the sea, and the bacteria infects people in various ways, according to ibtimes.

State officials are cautioning people to take some special precautions. The health department says that shellfish be cooked well before consumption, and people with weak immune systems or open wounds should not get into the sea at all.

"The way to protect yourself from skin infections from vibrio is by performing good wound care and you do that by covering the wounds with dry clean bandages until they're healed," Dr. Carina Blackmore, Deputy State Epidemiologist, said in a video released by the health department to WFLA.com.

"If infected, the disease typically has mild effects on a healthy person, the health department also said, but if a person's immune system has been weakened, the bacteria can be deadly. If it invades the bloodstream, the infection is fatal about 50 percent of the time," the report added.