Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are on the rise, according to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention.

Though cases in the Garden State are rare, the CDC says that the East Coast has seen an 800% increase since 1988.

The potentially deadly bacteria thrive in coastal waters during warmer months, especially brackish waters.

People can get infected if they enter contaminated water with an open cut or skin wound, or by eating contaminated raw or undercooked seafood.

The CDC also says that about 1 in 5 people with the vibrio vulnificus infection die.