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.

Eleven people in Florida have been infected with Vibrio vulnificus, the so-called "fleshing-eating" bacteria, including 2 in Escambia and Santa Rosa.