The culprit, Vibrio vulnificus, thrives in warm seawater and can get into the body through open wounds in the skin.

Four people in Florida have died and seven others have been sickened this year by a rare but potentially deadly bacterial infection known as Vibrio vulnificus, state health officials confirmed.

In Florida, four people have died this year after they were exposed to Vibrio vulnificus, a rare but deadly bacteria found in warm coastal waters.