Flesh-eating bacteria infections are on the rise in the US − a microbiologist explains how to protect yourself

_Vibrio vulnificus_ infections are spreading across the U.S. because of climate change. CDC/Janice Haney Carr

Flesh-eating bacteria sounds like the premise of a bad horror movie, but it’s a growing – and potentially fatal – threat to people.

In September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory alerting doctors and public health officials of an increase in flesh-eating bacteria cases that can cause serious wound infections.