Officials Warn of Flesh-Eating Bacteria in Hurricane Milton Floodwaters

The Florida Department of Health has issued an urgent warning regarding flesh-eating bacteria ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, NBC reported.

Health officials are advising people in affected areas not to come into direct contact with floodwaters if they can prevent it due to a form of flesh-eating bacteria known as Vibrio. It’s particularly dangerous for those with weakened immune systems, liver disease, or open wounds.

“Vibriobacteria, commonly found in warm coastal waters, can cause illness when ingested or when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water. After heavy rainfall and flooding, the concentration of these bacteria may rise, particularly in brackish and saltwater environments,” the department said in a statement.

Experts say you should avoid direct skin contact with floodwaters, but advised that if that were to happen it’s advisable to wash your hands and the affected areas with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Symptoms of Vibrio include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal pain, fever, chills, unusually slow or accelerated heart rate, confusion, and disorientation. If you feel you may have been exposed to the bacteria, you should immediately seek medical attention.

Hurricane Milton, downgraded from a Category 5 to Category 4 storm, is set to make landfall on Wednesday evening along the coast of Florida. 

On Monday, Tampa’s mayor, Jane Castor, issued a dire warning to the 5.5 million residents who call the region home. "I can tell you right now they might have done that in others, there’s never been one like this. And Helene was a wakeup call, this is literally catastrophic," Castor said. "And I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die."