A fourth Florida resident has died from 'flesh-eating' Vibrio vulnificus bacteria linked to eating raw oysters this year

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

A Broward County resident has become the fourth Floridian to die after contracting Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria linked to consuming raw or undercooked oysters. Officials have issued fresh warnings urging the public to avoid raw oysters as the death toll continues to climb. Health authorities confirmed the latest fatality within the past two hours, raising the alarm over the scale of the outbreak.

The bacteria, which destroys soft tissue rapidly, is naturally found in warm coastal waters and can be ingested through raw shellfish.