Flesh-Eating Bacteria Has Killed 5 People in Louisiana This Year — Here’s What You Need to Know

Louisiana health officials reported Thursday that five people have died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous bacteria found in warm coastal waters. Nine people in total have been infected in 2026, and all nine were hospitalized. Every single case was linked to a wound that came into contact with seawater, and every patient had an underlying health condition before they were infected.
The numbers stand out sharply against the state’s recent history. Over the previous ten years, Louisiana averaged seven infections and one death per year during this same stretch of the calendar. This year’s five deaths already match five times that historical average.

What Vibrio Vulnificus Is?

Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria that lives in warm coastal and brackish water. It is not something introduced by pollution or human activity — it is part of the marine environment, but its numbers grow significantly when water temperatures climb. In the Gulf Coast region, that window typically runs from May through October.
The bacteria enters the body in two main ways. The first is through an open wound that comes into direct contact with contaminated water. The second is through eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Once inside the body, it can move fast. In some patients, the infection progresses from first symptoms to a life-threatening crisis within 24 to 48 hours.

Why It Is Called Flesh-Eating

In severe cases, Vibrio vulnificus triggers a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, where the bacteria destroys soft tissue around the wound at a rapid pace. Patients develop fever, skin discoloration, swelling, blistering, and drainage from the affected area. If the bacteria reaches the bloodstream, it can cause septic shock and organ failure. Some patients require amputation to stop the spread. According to the CDC, roughly one in five people who contract Vibrio vulnificus will die from it.

Who Is Most at Risk

For people without open wounds who stay away from raw oysters, a normal day at the beach carries very little risk from this bacteria. The danger rises sharply for people who enter the water with open cuts, scrapes, or sores, and for those with underlying conditions. The Louisiana Department of Health specifically flagged people with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, thalassemia, or weakened immune systems as facing the highest risk of severe complications. All nine patients infected in Louisiana this year had preexisting health conditions.

The Broader Picture

Louisiana is not the only state dealing with elevated Vibrio activity this year. Florida has recorded two deaths from the bacteria in 2026. New York’s Long Island saw Vibrio vulnificus turn up in coastal water samples this spring — an area where it was not previously common. Infectious disease specialists say warming ocean temperatures are pushing the bacteria into regions where it was rarely seen before. Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health, has described it as no longer being just a Gulf Coast phenomenon, with the range expanding northward along the East Coast.
The Louisiana Department of Health said it will begin posting updated case numbers on a weekly basis for the rest of the season.

What Health Officials Are Telling People

Residents and visitors heading to Louisiana beaches or waterways are being advised to keep open wounds out of the water entirely. Anyone who develops signs of a skin infection after contact with seawater — including redness, swelling, pain, or discharge around a wound — should contact a doctor immediately and mention the water exposure. Cooking shellfish thoroughly before eating eliminates the risk from the food source.

sources:

• CBS News

• ABC News
  • WBRZ