Overview
- The Louisiana Department of Health said Thursday that nine people have contracted Vibrio vulnificus this year and five have died, with all nine hospitalized after wounds were exposed to seawater and each patient having underlying health conditions.
- Health officials are urging at-risk people to avoid salt or brackish water, to wash any wound promptly after exposure, and to seek immediate medical care for signs of severe infection such as fever, low blood pressure, swelling, or blistering.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Vibrio vulnificus infections rise from May through October when water is warmer and that about one in five infections can be fatal or require intensive treatment or amputation.
- Experts and health agencies point to rising sea temperatures and storm-related flooding as factors expanding Vibrio risk into new areas, and nearby states including Florida have also reported recent Vibrio deaths while the bacterium was found this spring in Long Island water samples.
- Louisiana has averaged seven Vibrio cases and one death per year over the past decade but saw a spike in 2025 with at least 26 cases and five deaths, a pattern that officials say may lead to more frequent public warnings and changes to how vulnerable people use coastal waters.