Deadly Bacteria Detected in New York Waters, Scientist Warns

The risks are higher for older adults and people with compromised immune systems, particularly if they have open wounds.

Kelly McBride Ni

Published: 4/23/2026, 4:23:51 PM EDT

Deadly Bacteria Detected in New York Waters, Scientist Warns — In this image from video provided by WACB-TV, homes are seen across the Hudson River after an explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in New York on May 24, 2025. (WACB-TV via AP)

A coastal scientist warned this week that a potentially deadly bacterium linked to severe infections has been found in Long Island waters.

Christopher Gobler, a professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, presented new findings during a public briefing at Peconic Riverfront Park on April 21, previewing his annual State of the Bays Symposium. The event focused on water quality trends, emerging threats in the region, and health concerns.

“Bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus, also known by the CDC as a flesh-eating bacteria, is present and a risk in our waters,” Gobler said. The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, can enter the body through open wounds and, in severe cases, cause life-threatening infections.

“It’s a very, very serious infection,” adding that “people who are infected with this bacteria have a 20 percent chance of dying within just 48 hours," Gobler said, in a filming of the press conference by Long Island News 12.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Vibrio bacteria naturally occur in coastal waters and become more prevalent during warmer months. About one in five people with severe Vibrio vulnificus infections die, sometimes within days, according to the CDC.

Gobler said the bacteria, historically found in the Gulf of Mexico, have spread northward along the East Coast. In 2023, three deaths in Long Island Sound were linked to the infection, but no local fatalities have been reported since.

Researchers have identified potential “hot spots” for the dangerous bacteria on Long Island, including Sagaponack Pond, Mecox Bay, and Georgica Pond.

Gobler said the risks are higher for older adults and people with compromised immune systems, particularly if they have open wounds.

These findings were presented alongside broader concerns about declining water quality. Gobler said there are “dozens and dozens of locations” across Long Island where waters fail to meet state and federal standards, often because of harmful algal blooms producing toxins that “can sicken or even be lethal.”

He said dogs have become ill or died after drinking contaminated water and that some shellfishing areas have been closed because of toxin levels.

Gobler also warned about expanding low-oxygen “dead zones” affecting marine life, adding that the region is facing “the most intense paralytic shellfish poisoning harmful algal bloom in the history of New York.”

Dr. Gobler’s colleague at Stony Brook, Michael Doall, said plans to upgrade Suffolk County’s septic systems to remove nitrogen “are going to take decades,” according to the East End Beacon.

He added that nitrogen from septic tanks is already present in Long Island’s groundwater and could take additional decades to reach surface waters.

“We need a solution right now to mop up the mess in the water,” he said, adding that about 50 farms across Long Island are already doing this work.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says excess nitrogen in waterways fuels harmful algal blooms, degrading water quality.

The CDC estimates that Vibrio bacteria cause about 80,000 infections annually in the United States. Of those, about 52,000 are linked to eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked shellfish. People can also become infected when an open wound is exposed to the bacteria in contaminated water.

Symptoms of vibriosis can include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. In some cases, more severe infections develop. These may cause dangerously low blood pressure, blistering skin lesions, swelling, or tissue damage.

Some strains, such as Vibrio vulnificus, can lead to life-threatening complications like necrotizing fasciitis, a condition that destroys the tissue around a wound.

The CDC advises seeking immediate medical care for symptoms of bloodstream or wound infections, noting that early treatment with antibiotics or surgery can be critical to survival.