Connecticut health officials are warning residents after a string of infections caused by a flesh-eating bacteria found in the Long Island Sound.

Five patients in the state have been diagnosed with a rare infection, called Vibrio vulnificus, which can result in intensive care, limb amputation and necrotizing fasciitis — also known as flesh-eating bacteria — according to the Connecticut Department of Health.

“This suggests the Vibrio bacteria may be present in salt or brackish water in or near Long Island Sound, and people should take precautions.”.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio is the same genus of bacteria that more commonly causes infections from raw or undercooked shellfish.

The much rarer Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can cause life-threatening illness if an open wound is exposed to infected shellfish, or the brackish water they live in.

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