A nasty variety of flesh-eating bacteria, known as
Vibrio vlunificus, has felled five Chesapeake swimmers and boaters, Maryland health officials say.
The victims were stricken while in the Patuxent River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay,
The Baltimore Sun reports.
The aggressive bacteria thrive in warm weather and can cause skin and blood infections and intestinal illness. Among the five vibrio cases was a 66-year-old man who almost lost a leg.
Last year, 57 people were infected in Maryland — a 10-year high, The Sun reports. Warmer waters and pollution may be partially to blame for the bacteria’s prevalence, according to a Chesapeake Bay Foundation report.