Vibrio vulnificus detected in the Strait of Messina

Health authorities are monitoring the presence of Vibrio vulnificus, commonly known as the ‘flesh-eating bacteria’, in the Strait of Messina. While research from the University of Messina previously identified the pathogen in the waters between Sicily and Calabria, recent record summer temperatures have renewed concerns regarding its proliferation in warm coastal waters.

In the United States, specifically Florida, the pathogen has caused recent fatalities, with 14 infections and 2 deaths reported as of August 2026. The bacteria can enter the body through open wounds, recent tattoos, or the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, such as oysters. Once inside, it can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that rapidly destroys skin and surrounding tissue, carrying a mortality rate of approximately 20%.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned that rising temperatures due to global warming are creating favorable conditions for such pathogens in European coastal waters. However, Italy’s Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) has stated that the risk of contracting the infection in Italian waters remains ‘extremely low’.