According to Gizmodo, a teenager in Florida is fighting a life-threatening infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium found in warm coastal waters. The teen contracted the bacteria after exposure at a local park. While these infections are rare, they're becoming increasingly common—a concerning trend as ocean temperatures rise. Vibrio vulnificus can cause severe, rapidly progressive infections that damage tissue and organs, earning it the colloquial name 'flesh-eating' bacteria. Though infection rates remain low overall, the rising frequency underscores how warming waters may expand the habitat range of dangerous marine pathogens.

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