---
title: Study Confirms Presence of Flesh-Eating and Illness-Causing Bacteria in Florida’s Coastal Waters Post-Hurricane Ian
date: 2023-10-17T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/study-confirms-presence-of-flesh-eating-and-illness-causing-bacteria-in-floridas-coastal-waters-post-hurricane-ian"
section: Articles
---
# Study Confirms Presence of Flesh-Eating and Illness-Causing Bacteria in Florida’s Coastal Waters Post-Hurricane Ian

*October 17, 2023* — by [Emily C. Nunez](/author/emily-c-nunez)


> Dangerous Bacteria Surge due to Climate Change, UMD Researcher Finds

*52389616800 14c92f7c28 o 1920x1080 — Hurricane Ian, pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above the Caribbean Sea east of Belize. The storm unleashed a variety of flesh-eating and other harmful bacteria in its wake, according to a new study by UMD researchers.*

Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida in September 2022, cutting a path of destruction that made it the nation’s third-costliest weather disaster and left 150 people dead in the state. But the storm’s havoc continued as it unleashed a variety of flesh-eating and other harmful bacteria in its wake that can cause illness and death in humans, according to a new study published Monday in the journal *mBio*.

Using a combination of genome sequencing and satellite and environmental data, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland, the University of Florida and microbiome company EzBiome detected several pathogenic *Vibrio* species in water and oyster samples from Florida’s Lee County, a coastal region that was devastated by Ian. The samples collected in October 2022 revealed the presence of two particularly concerning species: *Vibrio parahaemolyticus* and *Vibrio vulnificus*.

“We were very surprised to be able to detect—without any difficulty—the presence of these pathogens,” said the study’s senior author Rita Colwell, a Distinguished University Professor in the [University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) ](https://www.umiacs.umd.edu/)who has studied *Vibrio* for the last 50 years.

The study’s findings correspond to a reported increase in *V.**vulnificus* cases in the state of Florida in October 2022. According to the Florida Department of Health, Lee County, which had the highest caseload in the state, reported 38 infections and 11 deaths.


*close-up of green bacteria — V. vulnificus bacteria shown under a microscope*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/cell-biology-and-molecular-genetics), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences), [University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-of-maryland-institute-for-advanced-computer-studies)