Florida teen fights for life after flesh-eating bacteria infection.

A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after contracting a deadly flesh-eating bacteria following a swim at a Florida park.

Joziah Thompson ignored a warning from his mother about a cut on his lower left leg. He went swimming off the Northwest coast near Pensacola with his siblings on Monday, June 1.

Initially, nothing seemed wrong. However, three days later, Thompson was in agony. His leg turned red, became hot to the touch, and he developed a high fever.

Doctors rushed him to the hospital and diagnosed him with a *Vibrio vulnificus* infection. This bacteria thrives in warm seawater and can enter open wounds to destroy flesh.

Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and redness. In severe cases, the infection can lead to amputation or death.

Thompson was hospitalized for a week before being transferred to an advanced facility in Pensacola. Surgeons performed surgery to remove the infected tissue from his leg.

His mother told WEAR News3: 'I told them with the scratch to just be careful and mindful. They came home after playing in the water with no issues.'

Three days later, the boy reported severe pain. His mother asked him to show her his leg. 'And when I looked at the leg, it was completely red, soft to the touch, and seeping,' she said. 'I was like, "Wait a minute, this is real; something's going on".'

The family is still in danger. 'He is "not out of the woods yet,"' his mother stated. He requires more surgeries and aggressive antibiotics to survive.

To cover medical costs, she launched a GoFundMe page. She also closed her local spa, JaeKae Luxury Massage and Esthetics, to care for him. This has left their family of nine without their main income.

She is urging authorities to create an alert system for bacterial surges. 'I'm pushing for a system [to be] put in place to know the bacteria levels in local waters,' she said. 'I don't want this to happen to any other children.'

Her son is 5-foot-11 and weighs 225 pounds. 'What if this was a 5-year-old who doesn't have the strength to fight something off like this?' she asked.

*Vibrio* infections typically surge between May and October. Surface water temperatures above 68F (20C) favor bacterial growth.

Warning signs include skin redness, rashes that swell quickly, fluid-filled blisters, fever, and altered mental states. In extreme cases, the flesh turns black, potentially requiring amputation or causing sepsis.

Older adults, those with compromised immune systems, and seafood consumers are at highest risk. Thompson, who also has autism, was swimming with his siblings two days before symptoms appeared.

Treatment involves antibiotics or surgical removal of infected tissue. While rare, the infection is on the rise and remains often deadly.

CDC officials warn that the nation sees between 150 and 200 infections annually, with roughly one in five resulting in death. Last year alone, at least 72 cases surfaced across 12 states, concentrating heavily in the South. The threat is now pressing. Florida has already logged eight infections this year. Connecticut and Alabama have each confirmed a single case.