Health officials across the Gulf Coast are urging residents to take precautions following a rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria that has claimed eight lives so far this year.
On Thursday, July 31, the Louisiana Department of Health reported 17 confirmed cases of Vibrio infection in 2025, all of which required hospitalization. Tragically, four of those cases proved fatal. Health authorities noted that roughly 75% of infections were linked to exposure through open wounds in seawater.
In neighboring Florida, the Florida Department of Health confirmed 13 cases and four deaths related to the bacteria this year. Mississippi and Alabama have each reported one case, though neither resulted in death.
Officials are encouraging residents and visitors alike to be informed and take preventive steps, especially during peak summer months when risks are higher.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Vibrio bacteria are responsible for approximately 80,000 illnesses annually in the United States. These bacteria occur naturally in coastal waters and can pose a serious health risk.
The most common way people become infected is by consuming raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters — as the bacteria tend to “concentrate” in these shellfish, the CDC explains. Infections can also occur when bacteria enter the body through an open wound, recent tattoo, or piercing, especially when exposed to brackish or saltwater.
Most infections are reported between May and October, when water temperatures are warmer and conditions are ideal for bacterial growth.
Symptoms of a Vibrio infection vary depending on how the bacteria enter the body. If it reaches the bloodstream, individuals may experience fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions, the CDC says. Wound infections can cause fever, swelling, and oozing around the site, while ingested bacteria can lead to symptoms resembling food poisoning — such as watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Treatment usually involves antibiotics, but in severe cases, doctors may have to amputate affected limbs to remove infected or necrotic tissue, the CDC warns.
The bacteria can be deadly: about 1 in 5 people infected with Vibrio vulnificus die — sometimes within just one or two days of symptom onset.
