A rare, potentially deadly bacteria that lives in warm seawater has infected seven people and killed two so far this year in Florida, according to state health officials. 
 
 "People can get infected with Vibrio vulnificus when they eat raw shellfish," Florida Health Department spokeswoman Mara Burger said in a statement. "Since it is naturally found in warm marine waters, people with open wounds can be exposed to Vibrio vulnificus through direct contact with seawater." 
 
 When the bacterium is eaten in contaminated food, symptoms of the disease include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. When Vibrio vulnificus enters the body through an open wound, it can cause infections that may lead to skin breakdown and ulcers -- the notorious "flesh-eating" symptoms. 
 
 While healthy people typically experience only mild symptoms, those with a weakened immune system, particularly people living with chronic liver disease, are at a higher risk for severe complications. The bacterium can invade the bloodstream and cause fever, chills, blistering skin lesions, septic shock, and death. 
 
 Cases of Vibrio vulnificus are rare - there were 32 cases reported in Florida last year - and infections are seasonal. Over 85 percent occur between May and October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
 
 To avoid infection, experts recommend not entering the water if you have fresh cuts or scrapes. People with a compromised immune system should take extra precautions by wearing proper foot protection to prevent cuts caused by rocks and shells on the beach. 
 
 Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, should be cooked thoroughly and eaten promptly after cooking. Raw shellfish should be avoided. 
 
 Most cases of Vibrio vulnificus are treated with antibiotics. In some severe cases, amputation of the infected limb is necessary. ||||| Wikimedia Commons So apparently there's a flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in warm saltwater and is living in our oceans, according to Florida health officials. 
 
 The bacteria, known as vibrio vulnificus, has caused 32 people to be hospitalized and killed ten in Florida. That was through a period of years, not all at once. Since 2013, there have been five cases of vibrio and two deaths in Broward County. 
 
 Still, it's enough of a risk that the Florida Department of Health issued new warnings on Monday. So if you plan on heading out to the beach for a swim, be aware that a flesh-eating bacteria is floating around out there. 
 
 Here's what you need to know about vibrio. 
 
 See also: South Florida Sees the First Local Cases of the Mosquito Virus Chikungunya 
 
 First of all, the bacterium normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt. And if there are two things Florida waters have plenty of, it's warmth and salt. 
 
 "A person can contract vibrio by eating tainted raw shellfish and oysters," Florida Department of Health Deputy Press Secretary Pamela Crane tells New Times. "And people who swim in seawater [and] have open wounds are also vulnerable to the bacteria." 
 
 Vibrio can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, but is especially dangerous for people with weak immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease. Vibrio can get into the bloodstream and cause life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include fever, chills, a drop in blood pressure, and skin lesions. 
 
 According to the Florida Department of Health, those who get the bacteria into their bloodstreams die about 50 percent of the time. People with weaker immune systems were 80 times more likely to develop the infection in the bloodstream than healthy people, according to health officials. 
 
 Reports of people contracting the vibrio bacteria are rare, however. That may be because it's gone largely unnoticed over the years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 900 infections have been reported from the Gulf Coast states between 1988 and 2006. Prior to 2007, there really was no way of monitoring it. 
 
 So basically, if you have a weak immune system or an open wound, it's best to avoid the water for now. If you do go swimming, make sure to wash off thoroughly afterward. 
 
 "It's rare, but we wanted to get the warning out there to make sure people are educated about it," Crane says. 
 
 The best way of avoidance, however, is to stay away from raw oysters and other shellfish. If you absolutely, positively must eat the stuff, make sure it's cooked thoroughly. Be sure to boil shucked oysters for at least three minutes, or fry them in oil for at least ten minutes at 375°F. 
 
 The main thing is that this is a normal occurrence in our waters. Chances are, you've already been swimming in vibrio-infected waters and are doing just fine. What health officials want to stress is that people with weak immune systems should take extra precautions. 
 
 Nobody needs a bad case of the runs from all orifices after a nice day out at the beach. 
 
 For more info, read the handy-dandy flier we've embedded below: 
 
 Vibrio Info by Chris Joseph 
 
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 Sponsor Content ||||| Two deaths reported in Florida from flesh-eating bacteria Posted: Friday, June 12, 2015 7:19 PM EDT Updated: Friday, September 4, 2015 7:19 PM EDT 
 
 There have been a total of two deaths in Florida linked to vibrio vulnificus, more commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria. 
 
 The closest case on the Gulf Coast has been found in Santa Rosa County. 
 
 The deaths occurred in Brevard and Marion counties. 
 
 According to the Florida Department of Health, vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt. 
 
 A person can be infected with vibrio vulnificus when they eat raw shellfish. People with open wounds who get into the warm, brackish water containing the virus can also be infected. 
 
 Officials say vibrio vulnificus is rare, but under-reported. Florida Health said between 1988 and 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of more than 900 Vibrio vulnificus infections from the Gulf Coast states, where most cases occur. 
 
 What are some tips for preventing Vibrio vulnificus infections? ||||| A 71-year-old Sarasota man who ate a raw oyster at a Sarasota County restaurant died from a bacterial infection two days later, according to the Florida Department of Health. 
 
 The health department declined to identify the man and the restaurant, but department spokesman G. Steve Huard said the man died July 10. 
 
 The bacteria is identified as Vibrio vulnificus, which lives in warm, brackish seawater. Infections are rare but they can be contracted by eating tainted raw shellfish — such as oysters — or by exposing open wounds to salt water. 
 
 State health officials advise against going into the water if you have fresh cuts or scrapes. 
 
 People with weaker immune systems are at higher risk of infection, so officials also recommend they wear flip-flops, sandals or shoes on the beach to guard against getting cuts and scrapes from shells, rocks and other debris. 
 
 Vibrio vulnificus is sometimes referred to as a “flesh-eating bacteria” but health officials say that label is misleading because it cannot attack healthy skin. 
 
 Symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, wound infections and intestinal infections. 
 
 This is the first confirmed case and death from Vibrio vulnificus in Sarasota County this year. There were no reported cases last year, officials said. 
 
 Broward County had one case last year and a fatality in 2016. Palm Beach County has had one case so far this year, one case last year, and three cases in 2016, with one death, according to the health department website. 
 
 wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan 
 
 Raw oysters kill one person a month in the United States. 
 
 Protect public from dangers of raw Gulf oysters 
 
 Woman dies of flesh-eating bacteria after eating raw oysters
– A bacterium that flourishes in warm, brackish water has killed two people in Florida this year and will likely take more lives—but people can easily lower their chance of infection. Florida health officials say one person picked up the bacterium, known as vibrio vulnificus, via "raw seafood exposure" and another through "multiple exposures," UPI reports. It's not unusual in Florida, where 32 vibrio vulnificus cases were reported last year and seven were fatal. People usually get infected by entering vibrio vulnificus-infected water with open wounds—even a mosquito bite can serve as a point of entry, per the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory—or eating raw seafood. Sufferers with weakened immune systems (chronic liver disease in particular) are especially at risk, according to the Florida Department of Health. Mild cases resemble stomach flu or food poisoning, CBS News reports, but vibrio vulnificus becomes life-threatening when it enters the bloodstream. Then come symptoms like blistering skin lesions, low blood pressure, chills, and fever. Sufferers sometimes endure painful skin infections and have their limbs amputated; death results in about half of life-threatening cases. As the laboratory puts it, that's "said by many experts to be the highest human fatality rate for any bacterium." The more grim results explain why vibrio vulnificus is loosely called a "flesh-eating" bacteria even though it doesn't meet the official criteria, UPI noted last year. For more, see WTVM's list of ways to avoid vibrio vulnificus, including tips on shellfish-cooking and a warning to avoid raw oysters altogether. Another vibrio vulnificus factoid: Maryland and Gulf Coast states like Florida have the worst infection rates, but the bacterium is spreading to new waters thanks to global warming, per the laboratory. (More dangers in our waters: Two teens lost limbs on Sunday in North Carolina shark attacks.)