Overview

• Ben West, 38, fell ill days after crabbing and mullet fishing in Port St. Joe and was diagnosed with Vibrio vulnificus.
• He deteriorated quickly, was placed on a ventilator and faces the possibility of losing his left leg, his family says.
• Surgeons have performed at least four debridement operations, and doctors report the infection’s progression has been halted with additional procedures likely.
• Family updates say his kidneys, which had shown signs of failure along with his liver, appear to be improving.
• Bay County issued a sewage-spill advisory for Port St. Joe, and a fundraiser for West has drawn about $16,000 to $17,000 as officials caution about seasonal Vibrio risks along the Gulf Coast.