Massachusetts health officials have issued a statewide advisory after confirming that a swimmer who visited Old Silver Beach on Buzzards Bay contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium capable of causing necrotizing fasciitis, commonly referred to as a flesh-eating disease. The individual, described only as an older adult with an open wound, fell ill late last week following exposure in the water, according to the Department of Public Health (DPH). Vibrio vulnificus is typically associated with the warmer waters of the Gulf Coast, but record sea-surface temperatures have allowed the organism to thrive farther north. While infections remain rare—only seven Massachusetts residents have been diagnosed in recent years, four of them believed to have been exposed in the state—the pathogen can prove deadly, killing about 20 percent of those infected. Across all Vibrio species, DPH has logged 71 confirmed or probable cases this year, roughly 30 percent of which required hospitalization. Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein urged people with liver disease, diabetes, or other conditions that compromise immunity to avoid swimming with open wounds and to keep any cuts covered with waterproof bandages. The advisory also recommends thorough cooking of shellfish, particularly oysters, which can harbor the bacteria. Despite the warning, Old Silver Beach and other Cape Cod beaches remain open, with local authorities monitoring water quality as peak Vibrio season—late summer through early autumn—continues.