Micro-organisms commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria reside in St. Johns County and can be fatal, officials said.
"There isn't really a way to avoid it if you're going to be in the water ... you could be exposed to it," said Maia McGuire, Ph.D., University of Florida IFAS Extension marine agent.
And although it is alarming, cases are rare, she said.
Earlier this month, health officials reported that a 45-year-old Jacksonville woman died after being infected with the bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, while she was riding a personal watercraft on the St. Johns River. The Duval County medical examiner ruled that she died of an infection of the blood, and not flesh-eating disease.
It's a bacteria that lives in saltwater or brackish water.
Half of those infected, who also had liver disease, died.
Nationally, each year there are about 95 cases, 85 hospitalizations and 35 deaths.
Since 1999, three non-fatal cases have been reported in St. Johns County.
It's a bacteria that lives in brackish water
More common and less likely to be fatal than Vibrio vulnificus.
Two cases in St. Johns County this year, one within the last couple of months.
Nationally, each year there are about 190 confirmed cases with an estimated 3,000 cases, 30 hospitalized and one or two deaths.
They include tissue destruction around wounds and lower extremities or gastroenteritis.
Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
Cook shellfish thoroughly.
Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood with other raw seafood or juices from raw seafood.
Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water or to raw shellfish harvests.
Wear protective clothing when handling raw shellfish.
This micro-organism is naturally found in warm saltwater or brackish water and can be contracted through a wound in the skin. However, it is more commonly the result of ingesting or touching oysters or other shellfish, officials said.
In St. Johns County there have been cases of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus -- similar bacteria that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tissue destruction around wounds and lower extremities or even death.
"It is a common bacteria in brackish water so it's around and can be more concentrated in summer months," said Jean Carver, spokeswoman for St. Johns County Health Department.
Since 1999, there have been three reported cases of vibrio vulnificus, Carver said.
The three people infected got it through oysters. They all had weakened immune systems and all recovered, she added.
This year, there have been two reported cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, according to the Health Department. Both patients suffered from cellulitis, or acute inflammation of connective tissue of skin, as a result. One is believed to have been contracted through water and was quite serious, Carver said. It is still being investigated because it is a recent case, she added. The other was contracted through seafood.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is more common, results in fewer fatalities and normally will run its course in three days, officials said.
However, both bacteria pose a serious risk for those with weakened immune systems. And there are no visual signs of the bacteria in the water, McGuire said.
"It's good to be aware of it," McGuire said. "There's things out in the water that we just don't think about."
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