Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are increasing across U.S. coastal areas, with infections spreading beyond their traditional Gulf Coast boundaries as climate change warms ocean waters.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the potentially deadly bacteria are more likely to be found in warmer, coastal waters — especially in the brackish waters where fresh water meets the sea during the warmer months of the year.
Cases of flesh-eating bacteria were once largely confined to the Gulf Coast. However, the CDC says cases from 1988 to 2018 surged along the East Coast, with an 800% increase.
Scientists say that's due to climate change increasing the water temperature over time.
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People can contract the Vibrio vulnificus infection when contaminated water enters the body through an open cut or skin wound. The infection can also be contracted by eating contaminated raw or undercooked seafood.
The risk for Vibrio infections has also spread farther north as water temperatures have increased due to climate change.
According to data from the CDC, about one in five people with the infection die.
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