Coastal waters have seen a surge in Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause severe infections, resulting in five deaths in Louisiana this year. Health officials are advising increased precautions for beachgoers and seafood consumers.
Vibrio vulnificus infections can lead to gastrointestinal illness, severe wound infections, or life-threatening blood poisoning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that approximately one in five individuals infected with Vibrio vulnificus die, often rapidly.
The bacteria thrives in warmer waters and is most commonly found from May through October. In Louisiana, nine cases requiring hospitalization have been reported in 2026, an increase from the average of seven cases and one death seen over the preceding decade for the same period.
Infection typically occurs in two main ways: consuming raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or when an open wound comes into contact with coastal or brackish waters where rivers meet the ocean. Examples of such wounds include unhealed cuts, scrapes, recent piercings, or tattoos.
Florida, which historically reports the highest number of Vibrio vulnificus cases in the U.S., has seen 14 cases and two deaths this year, compared to 33 cases and five deaths in 2025. A previous case highlighted the bacteria's rapid progression when a 77-year-old man fell ill after scraping his leg on a boat trailer. Despite cleaning and bandaging the wound without entering the water, his health declined sharply, leading to hospitalization and death three days later.
While anyone can contract Vibrio vulnificus, individuals with underlying health conditions such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia, as well as those undergoing immune-suppressing therapy, taking medication to reduce stomach acid, or who have recently had stomach surgery, are at higher risk for severe illness.
Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection can include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Wound infections may present with fever, redness, drainage, swelling, pain, or skin discoloration around the affected area. Bloodstream infections can manifest as fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
The CDC recommends that mild infections be managed with ample fluid intake to prevent dehydration. Severe or prolonged infections may be treated with antibiotics. Wound infections often require a combination of antibiotics and surgical intervention, potentially including amputation to remove infected tissue. Health providers advise immediate medical attention for anyone experiencing symptoms, emphasizing prompt reporting of any recent consumption of raw seafood or exposure of open wounds to coastal waters.