Department of Public Health alerts public to rare Vibrio vulnificus bacteria in coastal waters
Boston — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is alerting residents and visitors to the potential danger of Vibrio bacteria in coastal waters. The alert is being issued after the identification of an extremely rare case of Vibrio vulnificus infection in Massachusetts, which the individual likely acquired from exposure to coastal water at a beach on Buzzards Bay. There have been seven confirmed Vibrio vulnificus cases among Massachusetts residents in the last several years, including four that were likely exposed in Massachusetts.
Vibrio vulnificus infections are more common in the warm waters of the Gulf Coast, and Louisiana and Florida have reported unusually large numbers of cases this year.
“Vibrio bacteria normally live in warm, salt or brackish waters along the Atlantic coast,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Heat waves and above-average water surface temperatures create favorable conditions for Vibrio bacteria to grow, making May through October generally the peak season for these bacteria. People with open wounds who spend time in the water, or those who consume contaminated shellfish, can develop an infection when the bacteria enter the body. Sometimes these infections can spread through the bloodstream and cause severe, even life-threatening illness.”
Several species of Vibrio bacteria can cause human illness, including V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, V. fluvialis, and V. vulnificus. In Massachusetts, between 2015 and 2024, there were an average of 88 cases of Vibrio infection per year (ranging between 62 in 2020 and 127 in 2024). Most of these infections were the result of people consuming shellfish contaminated with the bacteria.
Read the full press release at Mass.gov >>>
