The Southampton Town Trustees issued an advisory on the Vibrio vulnificus “flesh eating” bacterium on April 23, following a viral social media post that referenced a preview of the State of the Bays symposium at Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus.
The trustees advised residents and visitors that the bacterium, which is naturally occurring, “may be present in local coastal and estuarine waters during warmer months.” Its presence “is not unusual in warm saltwater or brackish environments and does not necessarily indicate pollution or a widespread public health emergency.”
Infections are rare, the advisory states, “but they can become serious quickly, particularly for people with certain underlying health conditions. Public health officials emphasize that simple precautions can greatly reduce risk while allowing the public to continue enjoying Southampton’s beaches, bays, and waterways responsibly.”
Most infections occur when an open wound such as a cut, scrape, surgical wound, piercing, tattoo, or skin irritation is exposed to saltwater or brackish water containing Vibrio vulnificus. It can also be contracted via raw or undercooked shellfish. Those who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions are at higher risk and should take additional precautions, the trustees said.
“Individuals should check for current shellfish closures before harvesting, as conditions can change,” the trustees said. “There are also strict monitoring and handling protocols in place for commercial shellfish harvesters to reduce risk.”
The East Hampton Town Trustees briefly discussed Vibrio vulnificus when they met on Monday. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said John Aldred, did not mention the bacterium in a notice about shellfish sanitation he had received that day. “It doesn’t sound like they’re overly concerned about it,” he said, advising that anyone with an open wound should stay out of the water.
Kim Quarty, the executive director of Friends of Georgica Pond, a group of pondfront property owners who have spent more than a decade combating harmful algal blooms in that water body, also issued a statement on Vibrio vulnificus last Thursday. The social media post, by a News12 Long Island reporter, referenced Georgica Pond as showing “evidence of flesh-eating bacteria,” citing research by Christopher Gobler, who delivered his State of the Bays address on April 24.
Dr. Gobler “confirmed that the information presented is not new and is based on data collection that began in 2023, when this bacteria was first identified in the pond,” Ms. Quarty wrote.
“While the terminology used in media coverage may sound alarming, the associated health risk is limited and specific,” she continued, citing the risk to those who are immunocompromised or have open wounds. “For the general public, this does not represent a widespread public health threat.”
