A dangerous flesh-eating bacteria has been identified by researchers in bodies of water within a New York region, posing a potential fatality risk to those infected in as little as 48 hours. Dr. Christopher Gobler, an ecologist at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and his team have pinpointed “vibrio vulnificus hotspots” in several ponds across Long Island. The bacteria can lead to a 20% mortality rate within 48 hours for those affected, according to his warning.

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