Thirty-two people across the Gulf Coast — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — have contracted infections this year from a flesh-eating bacteria spread through saltwater and raw shellfish, according to state health officials. Eight have died.
The infection, called Vibrio vulnificus, is one of a dozen species of Vibrio: a bacteria found in coastal waters when the weather is warm and in raw shellfish, especially oysters.
The Louisiana Department of Health said Thursday morning that it is seeing a higher number of cases and deaths than typically reported. So far this year, there have been 17 cases and four deaths in the state. Seventy-five percent reported seawater exposure as the cause.
This is a noticeable spike compared to previous years. Between 2013 and 2023, there was an average of 13 cases per year, according to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
Thirteen cases and four deaths have been reported to the Florida Department of Health. The state was been a hotspot for Vibrio vulnificus infections in prior years. In 2022, 74 people were infected and 17 died — “an abnormal increase in cases,” the department said at the time. Many were linked to Hurricane Ian carrying bacteria-laden floodwater into homes.
Both Mississippi and Alabama have had only one recorded case. Neither were deadly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in five people who become infected die, while many survivors undergo limb amputations. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and chills.
People with open wounds should be cautious when swimming in brackish or warm coastal waters. Some Vibrio vulnificus infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis — a severe bacterial infection that kills the flesh around an open wound, which is why it is called a “flesh-eating” bacteria, health officials said. People with weakened immune systems should also be careful when eating or handling raw seafood.
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