Overview

• Florida health authorities report 23 Vibrio vulnificus infections and five deaths so far in 2025.
• Ben West, 38, was infected after an Aug. 23 fishing trip in Port St. Joe, underwent multiple debridement surgeries, and doctors later said the bacterial progression appeared halted though further procedures are planned.
• Genevieve Gallagher, 49, fell ill days after a July 27 swim in Santa Rosa Sound, required extensive tissue removal, was intubated after septic shock, and remains hospitalized with ongoing surgeries after a failed graft.
• The Florida Department of Health in Bay County issued an Aug. 28 alert about a sewage spill in Port St. Joe and advised people not to swim in the affected area.
• Officials and clinicians say infections can follow seawater contact with a cut or eating raw shellfish, progress rapidly with blistering and low blood pressure, and often require urgent surgical treatment in addition to antibiotics.