Flesh-Eating Bacteria Cases Surge Along North Carolina’s Coast

8/5/25 News 1 min read

North Carolina reported 59 Vibrio infections and one death through July 2025, as cases of flesh-eating bacteria surge along the Southeast coast fueled by warming coastal waters.

Hudson Hall at Duke University — Flesh-Eating Bacteria Cases Surge Along North Carolina’s Coast

Cases of Vibrio infections, including the potentially deadly Vibrio vulnificus, surged along North Carolina’s coast in summer 2025. The NC Department of Health and Human Services reported 59 Vibrio illnesses and one death statewide through July 31, the second-highest midsummer total in five years. An Outer Banks man was hospitalized for more than a week after a small leg cut developed into a severe V. vulnificus infection. The bacteria thrive in warm brackish coastal waters, and rising sea-surface temperatures are contributing to growing case counts across the Southeast. Health officials emphasize that beachgoers can significantly reduce risk by covering open wounds before entering coastal waters and avoiding raw shellfish.