Florida Reports 14 Vibrio Cases as Woman Loses Lower Leg to Infection
Updated
Updated · WKRC TV Cincinnati · Aug 15
Florida Reports 14 Vibrio Cases as Woman Loses Lower Leg to Infection
3 articles · Updated · WKRC TV Cincinnati · Aug 15
Summary
Genevieve Gallagher said a Vibrio vulnificus infection contracted after a July 2025 boating trip cost her much of her left leg below the knee.
An open cut on her leg likely let the bacteria in after she entered warm salt or brackish water, and she said she did not realize she was infected until her condition worsened days later.
Florida has logged 14 Vibrio vulnificus cases in 2026, the state health department said, including one fatal case in Marion County and a Brevard County case involving a child aged 10 to 14.
Doctors say the rare infection is typically linked to raw or undercooked shellfish—especially oysters—or exposing open wounds to contaminated water, prompting Gallagher to warn people to stay out of the water with even small skin breaks.