Massachusetts Issues Alert After Rare Flesh-Eating Bacteria Infects Cape Cod Swimmer

Massachusetts health officials issued a statewide advisory after confirming that an older swimmer contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a rare “flesh-eating” bacterium, while swimming with an open wound at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth on Cape Cod. The case, identified late last week and announced on 13 August, is the seventh Vibrio vulnificus infection recorded among Massachusetts residents in recent years and the latest known instance acquired in state waters. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Vibrio vulnificus thrives in warm, brackish seawater and can enter the body through cuts or by consuming contaminated shellfish. Although infections are more common along the Gulf Coast, officials noted that rising Atlantic water temperatures have expanded the bacterium’s range. Symptoms can escalate from fever and local wound redness to life-threatening bloodstream infections, particularly in people with liver disease, diabetes or weakened immune systems. Authorities urged beachgoers to avoid swimming with open wounds, cover existing cuts with waterproof bandages and cook shellfish thoroughly. The warning follows other coastal health alerts this week, including a separate advisory closing Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach, Florida, after high levels of Enterococcus bacteria were detected in the water.