Vibrio Bacteria Kills 8 as Gulf Coast Infections Rise

U.S. health officials are warning residents and visitors along the Gulf Coast after at least eight people died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a water-borne bacterium that can cause severe, sometimes fatal, infections often described as “flesh-eating.” The Louisiana Department of Health said it has confirmed 17 cases so far in 2025, all requiring hospitalisation and resulting in four deaths, the highest mid-year tally in a decade. Florida’s health department has reported 13 infections and four fatalities, while Alabama and Mississippi have logged one case each, bringing the nationwide total to more than 30 confirmed infections. Vibrio vulnificus thrives in warm, brackish seawater and can enter the body through open wounds or the consumption of raw or under-cooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention typically records 150–200 Vibrio cases annually, authorities say rising sea-surface temperatures and heavier coastal use during the summer may be contributing to this season’s spike. People with weakened immune systems or chronic liver or kidney conditions are at higher risk and are advised to avoid seawater exposure to open wounds and to ensure shellfish is thoroughly cooked.