Teen Hospitalized for Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Swimming with Siblings in Florida

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1. 1h ago

   Florida teen hospitalized after flesh-eating bacteria from minor swim scratch

   A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after a minor scratch on his leg, sustained while swimming at a park in Niceville, Florida, rapidly worsened into a severe flesh-eating bacterial infection. Doctors are considering potential amputation as the teen remains hospitalized. The infection is identified as *Vibrio vulnificus*, a naturally occurring bacteria found in warm seawater. This case follows recent reports of rising infections in Florida.

   What's confirmed:

   • A 17-year-old boy named Joziah Thompson is hospitalized in critical condition after contracting *Vibrio vulnificus*, a flesh-eating bacteria, from a minor scratch on his leg during a swim with siblings in Niceville, Florida.
   • The infection developed within two days of swimming, turning a minor scratch into a life-threatening emergency requiring potential amputation.
   • *Vibrio vulnificus* infections are rare but increasingly reported in Florida, particularly in warm seawater environments.
   • Thompson was treated at a Pensacola hospital, following a similar case involving a Pensacola woman last year.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • The severity of Thompson’s condition includes unconfirmed reports of immediate surgical intervention or organ failure.
   confidence 93%