Parts of Florida hit hardest by Hurricane Ian are seeing nearly double the normal number of infections from flesh-eating bacteria that thrive in coastal floodwaters.According to the Florida Department of Health, so far in 2022, Florida has seen 65 cases and one death from the bacterium compared with 34 cases and 10 deaths in 2021.The only Central Florida counties with reported cases this year are Brevard with two cases and no deaths, and Seminole with one case and one death. Compare that to Lee County, where Hurricane Ian made landfall, it has 29 cases and four deaths.University of Central Florida professor Salvador Almagro Moreno, Ph.D., is an expert in flesh-eating bacteria. He said considering the expansive flooding from Ian, he's not surprised at the spike."People that might not be in contact with bacteria at normal times, because of the water, and the coastal water getting inside the land. It just increases the contact and also people are gonna have like wounds because they are gonna be carrying things. It's going to create the perfect environment for transmission of the disease,” Moreno said.Scientists say flesh-eating bacteria thrive in salt water and the flooding seen in Central Florida was primarily fresh water. They say that's why we didn't see more cases here.Doctors say for those with weakened immune systems, infection with flesh-eating bacteria can be life-threateningMoreno's advice is simply to avoid brackish floodwaters whenever possible and to carefully wash with soap and water after exposure to them.Symptoms of Vibrio infection, or vibriosis, include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Treatment is not always needed, and severe illness is rare, but doctors prescribe antibiotics in more persistent cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.