Flash eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus affects Texas man

Steve Gilpatrick, 58, was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a tissue-destroying disease caused by a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus, when he took ill three days after swimming during a July 8 fishing trip at Crystal Beach.

The situation is life-threatening because the infection spread to Gilpatrick's blood. The bacterium causes nearly all seafood-related deaths in the United States as reported by the CDC.

Vibrio vulnificus thrives during summer months in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Swimmers with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients or people with liver disease, are most at risk. A point of entry, such as an open wound, allows the bacteria into the body.

People can also be infected by eating contaminated seafood. Raw shellfish, particularly oysters, pose the greatest risk, according to CDC.