Tons of tourists are tempted by the sunny, sandy South Florida beaches every year…but this year may be different. That’s because “the perfect pathogen storm” of flesh-eating bacteria are washing up on shore and it’s on track to totally kill the summer vibes for beachgoers.
We can thank the powerful combo of brown algae called “sargassum” and a bacteria called Vibrio for the smelly, scary problem. According to research from Florida Atlantic University, Vibrio is “the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment.” Apparently, the Vibrio attaches to the sargassum and as it heads into shore en masse, it creates an environment ripe for damage. These researchers want the public to “proceed with caution” when it comes to hanging out on the beaches and on waterfronts.
Source: NY Post