Man dies from flesh-eating bacteria after swimming in Florida, no health warning issued

(GoFundMe)

A Florida man died June 16 after contracting flesh-eating bacteria, but the state health department has yet to issue a warning, his family claims.

Cason Yeager, 26, of Lake County, Fla., contracted vibrio vulnificus after swimming about two miles south of Pine Island Beach, according to his mother, Karen Yeager. Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that lives in warm salt water, can be transmitted through contaminated seafood or an open wound exposed to seawater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"This has been a nightmare for me to say the least and nobody should have to go through this," Karen told WTSP.

Yeager’s death certificate wasn’t signed by The Villages Regional Hospital until June 23, WTSP reported, and the state has yet to notify the public.

According to Karen, her son was diagnosed with autoimmune disorder 10 years ago, but did not have problems since, and was healthy. She is now fundraising for her son’s funeral expenses on GoFundMe.

Now, she wants the public to be aware of the dangerous bacterium.

"I'm not telling anyone don't go into the water just do your due diligence and make sure that you're not going to harm yourself," she told WTSP.

Click for more from WTSP.