Five people have died in Florida from an infection of vibrio vulnificus, a rare, so-called "flesh-eating" bacteria that thrives in saltwater and marsh environments.

A total of 26 cases across 17 counties have been reported to the Florida Department of Health, which is fewer than the 74 reported cases and 17 deaths in 2022, according to a Department of Health tally.

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Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) issued a public health warning regarding a confirmed death due to vibriosis, and three deaths were reported in Connecticut this summer due to the disease as well.

The Cleveland Clinic says that vibrio vulnificus bacteria causes the most serious form of vibriosis, the symptoms of which, such as fever, chills, vomiting, and diarrhea, are difficult to distinguish from other diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 80,000 cases of vibriosis each year in the United States, but only 100 to 200 of those cases come from vibrio vulnificus bacteria.

Some vibrio vulnificus can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that causes the flesh around open wounds to die, leading many to call the bacteria 'flesh-eating.'

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Individuals with weakened immune systems due to age or chronic conditions should take extra precautions near saltwater bodies and avoid eating undercooked shellfish or seafood.

The Florida Department of Health has not published the ages of those infected with or who died from vibriosis this year. The victims of the infection in New York and Connecticut were over the age of 60.