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(VIDEO) Florida Reports First Flesh-Eating Bacteria Death of 2026 as Vibrio Cases Climb Statewide This Summer
Florida has recorded its first death of 2026 caused by an infection from Vibrio vulnificus, the so-called “flesh-eating” bacterium, according to state health officials, as coastal waters continue warming through the height of summer.
The bacterium, most commonly transmitted through raw seafood or contact with brackish coastal water, earned its “flesh-eating” nickname because the infection it causes, vibriosis, can damage or destroy skin and underlying tissue. Florida records infections from the bacterium every year, typically resulting in a handful of deaths across the state.
As of July 30, Florida had recorded 12 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection so far this season, including one death in Palm Beach County, according to Florida Health data. That pace compares with a total of 33 cases and five deaths recorded statewide throughout all of 2025. Severe weather events involving significant flooding, including hurricanes Helene and Ian, have previously been associated with elevated rates of illness and death tied to the bacterium, since flooding can push contaminated water into new areas and increase human exposure.
Although infections remain rare, they can escalate rapidly into serious, life-threatening illness, particularly in people with weakened immune systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in five people who contract the infection will die, and severe illness or death can occur within just a few days of exposure.
Vibrio vulnificus causes what the Cleveland Clinic describes as the most serious forms of vibriosis among the various types of vibrio bacteria capable of infecting humans. The infection can rapidly produce tissue damage, spreading blisters, low blood pressure, fever, organ damage, sepsis and death. The bacterium is often described as “flesh-eating” because it can also trigger necrotizing fasciitis, a severe bacterial infection that destroys muscle and skin tissue, causing the flesh surrounding a wound to die, according to the CDC, though Vibrio vulnificus is not considered the most common overall cause of necrotizing fasciitis cases in the United States.
Nationally, the CDC reports an average of 100 to 200 cases of vibriosis caused specifically by Vibrio vulnificus each year, with the overwhelming majority occurring in Gulf Coast states. Infections caused by other, generally less severe types of vibrio bacteria are considerably more common, accounting for roughly 80,000 cases annually across the country.
The bacterium requires salt water to survive and thrives specifically in warm, brackish water, the kind found where a river or stream meets the sea, according to the CDC. Most human infections occur either when contaminated water is swallowed or when it comes into contact with an open wound, such as a cut or scrape. The bacterium can enter the body through broken skin but cannot penetrate skin that remains fully intact. Infections can also occur through consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, with raw oysters, other raw seafood and direct seawater exposure representing the most common sources of vibrio outbreaks tracked by the CDC. Once inside the body, the infection can spread to the bloodstream and internal organs within a matter of hours.
Symptoms of a Vibrio vulnificus infection typically develop suddenly, usually within 24 hours of exposure, according to the CDC and the Cleveland Clinic. Common symptoms include fever and chills, a red, warm or swollen patch of skin that spreads quickly and causes significant pain, fluid-filled blisters and skin discoloration, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, low blood pressure often signaled by weakness, dizziness, fatigue or fainting, confusion or an altered mental state, and a rapid heartbeat.
Health officials have outlined specific steps the public can take to reduce their risk of infection while enjoying coastal waters and seafood during the remainder of the summer. When consuming seafood, the CDC recommends cooking all seafood, including oysters, before eating it, thoroughly cleaning any surfaces that come into contact with raw seafood or its drippings, and thoroughly washing hands after handling raw seafood, with gloves recommended for those at higher risk of severe infection.
For swimming and other water activities, the CDC advises avoiding entry into salt water or brackish water with any open wounds, a category that includes recent surgical sites, fresh tattoos or piercings, and even minor cuts or scrapes. People who may come into contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, even without planning direct exposure, are advised to cover any open wounds beforehand, since exposure can also occur unexpectedly during storm-related flooding. Anyone who does come into contact with coastal water or raw seafood should immediately wash any exposed area of open skin with soap and running water. People at increased risk of severe infection, including those with weakened immune systems and underlying conditions such as liver disease, diabetes or kidney failure, are advised to wear protective shoes and clothing when in or near coastal waters.
While health officials emphasize that the overall risk to the general public remains low, they have encouraged people in coastal areas, particularly those with compromised immune systems or chronic health conditions, to exercise additional caution during the remaining weeks of summer, when warm coastal waters continue to create favorable conditions for the bacterium.
Expanding specialty and innovative medicines portfolio, semaglutide launches across India and international markets, and the proposed Organon acquisition are major growth drivers in the medium term for the country’s largest pharma company by revenue and market cap. Despite pressure in the US generics segment, it has maintained the FY27 guidance of high single-digit revenue growth on account of continued traction in specialty products such as Leqselvi and Unloxcyt and strong momentum in the domestic business.
Read more: New F&O closing auction rules: Impact on traders, investors decoded
The short-term growth narrative is shifting away from traditional generics and toward specialty and innovative products. While the US formulations business declined 9.7% due to lower contribution from generic Revlimid and increased competition in some products, the company’s innovative medicines portfolio continued to gain traction across the US and international markets. The innovative portfolio will likely remain a key growth engine supported by products such as Ilumya, Odomzo and Cequa, along with the ramp-up of new launches. Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) expects the specialty portfolio to deliver a 13% annual growth over FY26-FY28, aided by improving physician adoption and expanding market access.
AgenciesAnother potential growth lever is semaglutide. Beyond India, the company has secured approvals for generic semaglutide injections for Type-2 diabetes in South Africa and Brazil. The commercialisation is underway in South Africa while the Brazil launch is expected soon through a partner.
The medium-term outlook is led by a healthy innovation pipeline. Key milestones over the next 12-18 months include a USFDA decision on Ilumya for psoriatic arthritis in October 2026, topline phase-II data for GL0034 in Type-2 diabetes during the second half of 2027, progress on Fibromun, and regulatory filings for dermatology and oncology assets. The Organon acquisition is expected to complete by March 2027 quarter, which could expand Sun Pharma‘s global scale and product portfolio.
MOFSL has retained a ‘buy’ rating on the stock with a target price of ₹2,310, implying a 16% upside to Friday’s closing price of ₹1,989.4.The broking firm believes Sun Pharma remains on track for strong growth, supported by expansion in innovative medicines through partnerships, launches and wider reach.
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What are exchanges changing?
Exchanges are changing the way the official closing prices of certain stocks are decided. The daily closing price is one of the most important numbers for market participants. It is used to calculate index closing levels, mutual fund portfolios, and settle derivatives contracts.
At present, a stock’s closing price is based on the average price of trades done in the last 30 minutes, between 3 PM and 3:30 PM.
From August 3, stocks that are available in the futures and options segment will have a separate closing auction. Their final closing price will be decided through this auction, instead of using the average price over last 30 minutes.
AgenciesTill now a stock’s closing price was based on average price of trades done in last 30 mins
How will the new closing auction work?
For stocks part of the F&O segment, normal trading will end at 3:15, after which the closing auction will begin. During this session, buy and sell orders are collected instead of being executed immediately. The exchanges will then calculate a single price at which the maximum number of buy and sell orders can be matched. That price becomes the stock’s official closing price.
To prevent sharp price swings, the auction price can generally move only within 3% above or below the stock’s average traded price between 3 and 3:15.
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Investors can place both market and limit orders until 3:25. After that, only fresh limit orders are accepted, while market orders already entered cannot be changed or cancelled. These restrictions are meant to discourage last-minute changes or large market orders that could influence the closing price. Also, the auction will close at a random time between 3:28 and 3:30, making it harder for traders to time their orders at the last second.
What’s the big deal about last-minute order changes? Why should it matter?
One reason for the change is that there have been complaints about large orders being placed at the close of trading in a bid to influence the final price. Think of it as the final over of a cricket match. A few big shots in the last moments can alter the final score. Similarly, a few large trades just before the market closes can influence the closing price.
A closing auction helps find one common price at which the maximum quantity can be traded. This is expected to make the closing price more reliable and reduce the impact of sudden orders placed near the end of the session.
Another key reason for the change is to help mutual funds, especially passive funds, execute all their buy and sell orders in the closing auction. This will help them transact at or very close to the official closing price. Currently, asset managers place orders between 3 PM and 3:30 PM at different prices depending on available liquidity, which can lead to tracking errors. Brokerage Zerodha said the new rule helps improve the efficiency of the execution of large orders.
Then, what’s the relevance of the period between 3:30 and 3:40?
By around 3:35, the closing auction for stocks that have F&O contracts will be over. However, F&O contracts continue trading until 3:40. This gives F&O traders a few extra minutes to react to the stock’s final closing price before derivatives trading ends.
Does this mean the market will now close at 3:40?
No. For most stocks, trading will continue to end at 3:30. For stocks that have futures and options (F&O) contracts, normal cash-market trading will end at 3:15, after which a closing auction will determine the final closing price. Only the futures and options market will continue trading until 3:40.
Who will be impacted by the new rules? Do traders need to do anything differently?
The biggest impact will be on active traders, proprietary desks and other institutions that trade near the market close. Brokers could advance intraday square-off timings, so traders should check the revised cut-off times. Investors in non-F&O stocks are unlikely to notice much difference.
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WA’s transport industry has warned consumers to brace for higher prices as rising fuel costs get passed on to businesses.The federal government’s fuel excise introduced three months ago to ease price hikes caused by conflict in the Arab Gulf comes to an end on Monday.
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