The Edgartown board of health is urging residents to exercise caution when swimming after a Vineyard resident over the age of 65 contracted a bacterial infection called Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacteria, after swimming in multiple bodies of water in the town with an open cut on their foot. The individual’s identity and status have not been released by the health board.
Vibrio vulnificus is a rare bacterium, and even more rare in cooler New England waters, with the most recent case in Falmouth in 2025. It is typically found in warm, coastal waters. Symptoms and severity can range from gastrointestinal issues to tissue decay, and even death if left untreated.
“Risk is very low for people who do not swim with open wounds, which is what I advise against,” Edgartown board of health agent Brice Boutot told The Times.
Still, in recent years, experts stated that climate change is elevating the risk of flesh-eating bacteria countrywide. There’s been an 800 percent increase in instances of Vibrio vulnificus throughout the Eastern U.S. from 1988 to 2018, according to the CDC.
“You’ll typically see this down south: Louisiana, Texas, Gulf of Mexico area,” Boutot said. “It’s uncommon [for Vibrio vulnificus] to be this far north in Massachusetts … Risk is minimal to those who use common-sense safety practices.”
There are about a dozen types of Vibrio bacteria, and not all of them impact tissue. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, contracted mainly through consuming raw oysters, had measurable impacts on local oyster farms in 2014. An outbreak of the bacteria and resulting illness (mainly gastrointestinal) led to the closure of Katama Bay oyster operations for a month, affected aquaculture that year, and incurred state involvement. Practices for oystering were adjusted to mitigate outbreaks, and warming coastal waters, which created an environment for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, were linked to climate change by experts.
In 2015, there was another closure of Katama Bay for oyster farming because of multiple cases of illness from the bacteria, then again in 2017. In 2024, improper tagging of oysters led to one case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
The version of Vibrio (vulnificus) that was just contracted in Edgartown, however, which a press release from the board of health states “can result in severe, sometimes fatal flesh infections,” hasn’t yet been documented on the Island.
The board of health routinely tests water samples from bodies of water in Edgartown for bacteria, pursuant to Massachusetts Bathing Beach Regulations. Those tests have not detected elevated bacterial levels this year, but there’s no test for Vibrio specifically.
“There is currently no closure advisory for any bodies of water in Edgartown, and public risk remains low for those who engage in common-sense safety practices,” the release stated.
The board of health advises covering open wounds from surgery, new piercings, fresh tattoos, cuts, and scrapes with a waterproof bandage; not handling raw seafood or drippings with an open wound; immediately washing wounds with fresh, running water and soap after swimming; and prioritizing protection for those at increased risk, like children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant persons, immunocompromised individuals, and those with liver disease. Medical care should be sought if any symptoms like burning, redness, blisters, fever, or chills occur after swimming or eating raw seafood or shellfish.
