How do I check for red tide at Florida beaches?
Red tide is a bloom of a microscopic alga, Karenia brevis, and it turns up in the Gulf almost every year, usually in late summer or early fall.
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What is Vibrio, and how do people in Florida get infected?
Vibrio is a group of bacteria that live naturally in warm coastal water, and the kind the Florida Department of Health counts is Vibrio vulnificus.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about a dozen kinds of Vibrio can make people sick, an illness called vibriosis. The bacteria are found in higher numbers from May through October, when the water is warmer.
The Department of Health lists three ways people get infected: eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters; getting warm seawater or brackish water in an open wound or broken skin; and flood water and standing water after storms such as hurricanes. Healthy people usually get a mild illness, but the bacterium can invade the bloodstream and cause a severe and life-threatening illness. People with weakened immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease, and people with kidney disease are at higher risk. Florida recorded 33 confirmed cases of Vibrio vulnificus and 5 deaths in 2025.
A wound infection brings fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration and discharge. The CDC says to see a doctor right away or go to the emergency room if you have signs of a Vibrio wound or bloodstream infection, and not to wait.
The Department of Health's advice: do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish, cook shellfish all the way through, keep open wounds out of warm salt or brackish water, and wear gloves when handling raw shellfish. The department's Disease Control office can be reached at 850-245-4444. The CDC is part of the United States government, and its phone number is 800-232-4636.
Where to go from here.
How do I find an urgent care center or walk-in clinic near me in Florida?
The state's FloridaHealthFinder.gov site lets you search for urgent care centers by city, ZIP code or county, and see any legal actions against each one.
Read the answer →What do the beach warning flags mean in Florida?
Florida's guarded beaches fly a colored flag to say what the water is doing that day.
Read the answer →Where this comes from.
- Vibrio Vulnificus, Florida Department of Health ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- About Vibrio Infection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ↗ Read October 28, 2026
More questions like this.
What should I know about jellyfish and Portuguese man o' war at Florida beaches?
Most jellyfish are harmless to people, but Florida has several kinds that sting, and lifeguards fly a purple flag to warn swimmers of dangerous marine life.
How common are shark attacks in Florida?
Florida had 11 unprovoked shark bites in 2025 and none were fatal, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum.
What is the stingray shuffle?
The stingray shuffle means sliding your feet along the bottom in shallow water, instead of lifting them, so a stingray is warned and will likely swim away.
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