Overview

• Louisiana has recorded 17 Vibrio vulnificus cases with four deaths this year, Florida has confirmed 13 cases and four deaths, and Texas remains below its annual average with five cases.
• The bacterium infects people through open wounds exposed to warm, brackish water or by consuming raw or undercooked shellfish, leading health departments to advise against those exposures.
• Infections can progress to necrotizing fasciitis or bloodstream involvement with a 20–50% fatality rate and may require prompt antibiotic treatment or even limb amputation.
• Individuals with chronic conditions such as liver disease, diabetes, cancer or compromised immune systems face substantially higher risks of severe outcomes.
• Experts link the surge to warmer coastal waters and extreme weather events that extend Vibrio’s season, prompting intensified public health alerts along the Gulf Coast.