ATLANTA — Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are on the rise.
The potentially deadly bacteria thrive in coastal waters during warmer months, especially in brackish waters, where freshwater meets the sea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People can get the infection when contaminated water goes into the body through an open cut or skin wound.
The infections were largely confined to the Gulf Coast.
However, cases have surged along the East Coast, with an 800% increase from 1988 to 2018, according to a 2023 CDC report.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 59 Vibrio illnesses and one death statewide through July 31, marking the second-highest midsummer total in five years, WRAL reported earlier this month.
You can also get it by eating contaminated raw or undercooked seafood.
2023 VIDEO: Three North Carolinians killed by water-dwelling bacteria
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